Mamelodi Sundowns currently have a five-point lead at the top of the table as they seek an unprecedented ninth league title win in a row, but have played a game more than second-placed Pirates.
If they extend that to eight points with Pirates having three games left, then you would think that is game over.
But for that to happen, Pirates must lose at Stellenbosch FC and Sundowns must beat Kaizer Chiefs.
Here are the talking points ahead of the matches.
Tough road trip
Pirates go to Stellenbosch FC in what is a difficult away day, having drawn two of their last three games in the league, which has handed the initiative to Sundowns.
They simply cannot afford any more slip-ups and it seems likely that, to lift the Betway Premiership trophy this campaign, they will need to win their final four matches.
But Stellenbosch is one of the tougher places to go in the top division despite their mid-table placing this season.
Stellenbosch have shown their mettle recently by holding Sundowns to a draw in the league and have also been a constant thorn for Chiefs this season in another battle against one of the so-called ‘Big Three’.
Pirates beat them 1-0 in the league at the start of the campaign and then 3-0 in the MTN8 final. Quite remarkably, six of the last seven meetings have either been at Pirates or on neutral grounds.
Pirates drew their last visit to Stellenbosch 0-0 in March 2025. Their previous visit before that was in September 2023, when they won an MTN8 semi-final first leg 2-1.
In all, Pirates have made seven visits to Stellenbosch and won only two, with two defeats and three draws.
All hail the Chiefs
It is rare that Pirates fans would ever want a Kaizer Chiefs victory, but that will certainly be the case on Wednesday when the Amakhosi make the relatively short trip to Sundowns.
The Buccaneers supporters would even take a draw, as their superior goal difference would put them ahead of the Brazilians if the teams were level on points.
Chiefs look odds-on to finish third and secure CAF Confederation Cup football again next season. They are five points ahead of fourth-placed AmaZulu with four rounds to play, but have hit a speed wobble with no wins in three (D2 L1) and were very poor in the 2-0 loss to Siwelele last time out.
Sundowns have not lost at home in the league in almost two years, since a 1-0 defeat to Cape Town City on the final day of the 2023/24 season denied them an ‘Invincibles’ season.
They have played 27 games on their own patch since then and won 25 (D2), with the only teams to pick up points being Pirates and Stellenbosch.
If you go back further, that defeat to City is their only one in 56 games (W48 D7) over the past four years.
Chiefs are unbeaten in their last two against Sundowns (W1 D1), but before that lost five in a row to the Brazilians. They won a Nedbank Cup semi-final at Sundowns in April last year.
Sundowns look set to complete their league campaign on May 12 at TS Galaxy (this is unconfirmed) ahead of the CAF Champions League final, at which point Pirates would still have two games to play according to the current schedule.
Durban derby
AmaZulu will lock horns with Lamontville Golden Arrows in a Durban derby on Wednesday that is important to both sides beyond the bragging rights.
Usuthu coach Arthur Zwane still hopes to overhaul his former side Chiefs and earn third place, while Abafana Bes’thende are looking to tie up qualification for the lucrative MTN8 next season.
They are currently in eighth place, three points ahead of Siwelele and Stellenbosch, and probably need two more wins to secure a top-half finish.
AmaZulu are coming off a 5-1 win in their last game against Chippa United, while Golden Arrows have also been in good form with seven points from the last nine available.
They have won three of their last five road trips (L2), but each victory has been followed by a loss, and if that pattern continues, they will go down again here.
Usuthu have generally held sway in this fixture of late, with four wins in the last six meetings (D1 L1), including the last two.
Battle at the bottom
There is a real relegation six-pointer on the cards on Tuesday as third-bottom Magesi FC host basement boys Orbit College.
Just a single point separates the two clubs, with Marumo Gallants in the middle, and victory would be huge for either of them.
It could move Magesi four points clear of Orbit in the automatic relegation place and, at this stage of the season, that would be massive.
But a win for Orbit and they could be out of the bottom three and into the safe zone.
There have been three previous meetings between the sides, each producing a home win, with the third game ending in a draw. Orbit won 3-1 when they met in the North West earlier this season.
Desperate Gallants, Galaxy
Marumo Gallants can also pull away from the drop zone when they host ailing TS Galaxy on Wednesday, with the latter licking their wounds from a Nedbank Cup final defeat on Saturday.
Both sides are in dire form and have forgotten how to win games.
Gallants have a single victory in their last 19 (D6 L12), but have drawn their last three games, which is a change from losing almost every week.
Galaxy are winless in their last 11 league matches (D2 L9) and are now just four points above the drop zone. Defeat here, and with results elsewhere, that could be cut to a single point.
There have been 14 previous meetings between the sides, with Gallants leading the head-to-head 6-3, along with five draws. Galaxy have won the last two meetings, but have never been victorious at Gallants (D3 L3).