The race to win promotion to the Premier League could be one of the closest in recent years judging by how the early part of the season has gone.
Just three points cover the top seven teams after 13 games, while a host of other sides are within touching distance of the play-offs.
Sportsbooks like these from onlinesportsbettingsites.co.uk rate Norwich City as the favourites to clinch top spot, while Sheffield United are just behind them in the betting.
The two sides are level on 24 points with Queens Park Rangers and it would be no surprise to see the trio still in the mix at the end of the campaign.
The Canaries made a slow start to the season following their relegation from the top flight, before embarking on a nine-game unbeaten run.
However, a 3-2 home defeat against Preston North End was a wake-up call and Norwich will need to bounce back over the next few games.
Sheffield United have gone off the boil recently, winning just one of their last four matches to allow the chasing pack to close in.
The Blades were beaten 3-1 by Stoke City in their most recent outing and injuries are threatening to derail their promotion bid.
Despite this, Paul Heckingbottom's team should have enough about themselves to stay in contention as the season progresses.
A five-game unbeaten run as quietly fired QPR into third place, raising hopes that they could mount a serious challenge for promotion.
Michael Beale's side possess plenty of quality, but they perhaps lack the squad depth of some of their promotion rivals.
Burnley are potentially the team who could give the likes of Norwich and Sheffield United plenty to think about this season.
They have lost just once under manager Vincent Kompany this season and look well-equipped to make an immediate return to the top flight.
The Clarets have developed an annoying habit of conceding late equalisers, but if they can iron out that flaw they look a good bet to finish in the top two.
Reading and Swansea City are currently in the final two play-off places, but it is difficult to imagine either of them staying there as the season progresses.
The Royals' tendency to make mistakes is a major Achilles heel, while Swansea's lack of experience could impact their play-off hopes.
Of the teams currently outside the top six, Blackburn Rovers look best equipped to mount a serious promotion challenge.
The Lancashire outfit have been inconsistent this term, winning seven and losing six of their 13 matches to date.
Rovers are still getting to grips with how manager Jon Dahl Tomasson wants to play, but some of the performances they have produced this season have been superb.
Having invested wisely during the summer and retained the services of star forward Ben Brereton Diaz, Rovers could challenge for automatic promotion.
Tomasson has been keen to establish Ewood Park as a fortress and the way his team dismantled Rotherham United on Saturday suggests he is well on the way to achieving that.
Rovers' away form has been less impressive, and that will need to be addressed if Tomasson's team are to keep themselves in contention.
Preston, Luton Town, Cardiff City and Sunderland are amongst several other teams harbouring play-offs hopes and it is impossible to rule any of them out.
Luton could be the team to keep an eye on, particularly as they ended the previous campaign in a play-off spot.
The Hatters are unbeaten in their last five outings in the Championship and have the know-how to keep themselves in the running.
Looking further down the table, Watford will be eager to improve on what they have shown so far after struggling to get to grips with life back in the Championship.
Their 3-1 defeat at Blackpool over the weekend left them 12th in the table, but they are still just four points behind sixth place.
New manager Slaven Bilic guided West Bromwich Albion to promotion in 2019/20 so knows what it takes to get out of the division.
If he can keep the Hornets on the heels of the leading teams, do not be surprised if they surge into the top six in the second half of the season.
Prediction: Burnley and Norwich look good bets to win automatic promotion, while Sheffield United, Blackburn, QPR and Watford are fancied to reach the play-offs.
If Blackburn can resist offers for Brereton-Diaz in the January transfer window, they can clinch the third promotion spot at the end of the season.
