Overview
- Coventry City have already secured the title and promotion, leaving one automatic Premier League place still in play.
- Millwall hold second on 79 points, with Ipswich three points back on 76 and carrying two games in hand.
- Southampton are fourth on 76 points, while Middlesbrough and Wrexham currently occupy playoff spots, with Wrexham only ahead of Hull on goal difference.
- The top two go up automatically, and teams in 3rd–6th meet in two-legged semifinals before a one-match final at Wembley on May 23 that is often valued at more than £100 million to the winner.
- The playoff calendar is set for first legs on May 8–9 and second legs on May 11–12, as off-field penalties have already shaped the bottom of the table with Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City relegated after points deductions.