CELTIC could well be officially crowned Premiership champions before they next play a game.

Aberdeen seem fairly certain for second place, they sit eight points above Rangers with a far superior goal-difference, while the chase to win a European spot and the right to be beaten by a Maltese team in mid-July having had no close season to speak of is among the usual suspects.

But the battle at the bottom is interesting, ever-so-close and for those clubs involved fantastically, frighteningly fraught.

Hibernian are spending their third season outside the top tier, Rangers, albeit their circumstances were different, needed two attempts to get out the Championship, while Falkirk have been down there since 2010 and few would bet on Dundee United coming back up this season.

In short, this is not an easy league to get back out of and clubs relegated lose money on a daily basis outside the Premiership, a situation which will only get worse when and if a new BT television deal is agreed.

These final weeks at the bottom end of Scottish football's top tier will be tense.

Partick Thistle are in the top six and on 34 points, ten ahead of the bottom two teams, so they are not going to be dragged into it.

But with four games to go before the split, meaning there are nine games in total before one goes down and the other into a play-off, no team in the bottom six can be considered safe.

Here we take a lot at those in the relegation race and assess their chances of survival:

Kilmarnock: Seventh, 32 points

Why they will stay up

Lee McCulloch has them better organised, they are playing a bit better football and are always good for a goal with Kris Boyd about.

Kristoffer Ajer, on loan from Celtic, has been a good addition, and nobody likes to play on that Rugby Park pitch; including the home side. They should have enough quality.

Why they won’t

Kilmarnock concede too many goals and that plastic pitch does not help them at all. That has to be ripped up for this club to progress.

There is still a brittleness about them and it will be interesting to see hope they cope in a scrap.

Prediction: Eighth

Dundee: Eighth, 30 points

Why they will stay up

They are still speaking about a top six finish and it’s not out with the bounds of possibility that could still happen.

Darren O’Dea is a fine leader and when they click, Paul Hartley’s men are far better than their lowly position would suggest.

Why they won’t

My word, they are inconsistent. They have dropped too many points from games they should have won or drawn. That has to stop.

They can look the part one week and offer little the next. It's why they find themselves in a position they should never have been in.

Prediction: Seventh

Ross County: Ninth, 28 points

Why they will stay up

They have done it before and so have experience in fighting their way out of tight situations, which is why they might have the edge over their rivals.

Liam Boyce scores goals and that tends to win teams close games. It will probably be enough,

Why they won’t

The Dingwall side have been disappointing this season. They have lost too often to teams around them and a lot of the spark from last season has been missing.

The good players from last time have under-performed in a season that just hasn't got started.

Prediction: Ninth

Motherwell: Tenth, 27 points

Why they will stay up

Louis Moult and Scott MacDonald score goals, at least sometimes, and with Stephen Robinson now in charge, the players should react to the new manager.

It’s the end of times for the likes of Keith Lasley and perhaps Stevie Hammell who will fight until the death to keep his club in the league.

Why they won’t

That defence. It has been awful all season, their 57 goals conceded is the league's worst record, and it has shown little sign of improvement.

It’s been said they have too much quality to go down by when you average losing two goals every game then they could well find themselves back in the play-off.

Prediction: Eleventh

Inverness CT: Eleventh (play-off place), 24 points

Why they will stay up

They have stated to pick up points albeit many of these games have been draws. They genuinely have been better than results suggest.

This season was always going to be hard but perhaps the Highlanders have found form and slight momentum at the right time.

Why they won’t

It’s simple really; there is a lack of quality in the squad. Too often sloppy goals have cost them dearly and they have won just four times this season. There is a reason for that.

Being poor at the back and blunt up-front is never going to get you anywhere.

Prediction: Tenth

Hamilton Academical: Twelfth, 24 points

Why they will stay up

The pitch is an abomination and might come into play in their favour over the five games after the split.

They will get players back, too many of the betters ones have missed games, and you have to wonder if that’s down to the playing surface, and so Martin Canning will hope for a full squad for once.

Why they won’t

They are the worst team in the league. There might be just one goal between them at Inverness but Accies lack the confidence that somehow Caley Thistle still possess.

They have scored 26 goals in 29 games and unless someone from somewhere finds their scoring touch, this is going to be the factor in them finish last.

Prediction: Twelfth