Championship preview
Second placed Hull take on fourth placed Crystal Palace, while leaders Cardiff take on Derby as the race for promotion hots up.
Last Updated: 05/03/13 4:44pm
Second placed Hull take on fourth placed Crystal Palace, while leaders Cardiff host Derby as the race for promotion hots up in Tuesday's busy Championship programme.
Crystal Palace are hunting their fifth win in seven league games against Steve Bruce's Hull, who sit four points above the Eagles in the second automatic promotion place. Cardiff City are a further five points ahead of the Tigers and will look to take a further step towards the Premier League with victory over 13th placed Derby County at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Free-scoring Watford could leap into the top two should they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road and other results go their way. The Hornets are unbeaten in six and have picked up more points in 2013 than any other Championship team.
Leicester City remain in the play-off positions despite losing three of their last five games, they host Leeds United, who kept their slim top-six hopes alive with victory over Millwall last weekend.
At the wrong end of the table, Bristol City are hoping to climb of the bottom with a fifth consecutive home league win against Brighton. They could be replaced by Wolves, who travel to Millwall still searching for their first win under new boss Dean Saunders.
Peterborough occupy the final relegation spot but could drag themselves above the dreaded drop zone with a win at home to Charlton. Sitting just a point above the drop zone are Barnsley, who will seek to put the excitement of an upcoming FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City to one side and focus on getting a result against Burnley at Turf Moor.
Huddersfield sit just five points and three places above the bottom three and face a tricky test at home to Middlesbrough, who could climb back into the play-off positions with a win. Ipswich are just a point better off than the Terriers and also face a side chasing a top six spot in the form of eighth placed Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Level on points with Ipswich are Blackpool and Birmingham, who occupy 16th and 17th place respectively. They go head-to-head at St Andrews in a battle of two out-of-form sides.
Bolton and Blackburn both suffered the heartache of relegation from the Premier League last season. They clash at the Reebok knowing defeat for either side would end their already fading hopes of earning an immediate return to the top flight via the play-offs.
