It doesn’t seem to matter who’s coaching or playing quarterback, the NFC South almost always comes down to who seizes the upper hand between New Orleans and Tampa Bay. The two meet Sunday, Dec. 31. The game will be live streamed on DirecTV Stream (free trial) and fuboTV (free trial and $20 off the first two months).

The teams have combined to win the past six division championships and are locked in another tight race this season, with the first-place Buccaneers (8-7) aiming to clinch a third straight title when they host the Saints (7-8) on Sunday.

The Saints captured four straight crowns from 2017-20 with quarterback Drew Brees and former coach Sean Payton leading the way.

Tampa Bay, led then by Tom Brady and former coach Bruce Arians, won the only playoff matchup between the bitter rivals enroute to winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship three years ago.

Brady and the Bucs broke New Orleans’ stranglehold on the top spot in the division the following season, then repeated as NFC South champs a year ago despite finishing with a losing record (8-9) in Bowles’ first season as Arians’ successor.

With Brady now retired, a rejuvenated Baker Mayfield has Tampa Bay on the verge of earning what would be a club-best fourth consecutive playoff berth.

The Bucs have won four straight games following a stretch in which they lost six of seven. They relish the opportunity to clinch another division title at home.

The Saints are coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Rams that dropped them out of a tie for first place in the division. They suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season, 26-9 at home, to the Bucs in Week 4.

When is Saints-Buccaneers?

The Bucs and Saints play at noon (1 p.m. ET) on Sunday, Dec. 31.

Will it be live streamed?

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

There are four options of DirecTV Stream:

The Entertainment Package, which consists of 65+ channels, is $54.99 until the promotion runs out April 30. It’s the basic package for can’t-miss entertainment – including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.

The Choice Package has more than 90 channels and is $74.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks, and more. Enjoy Regional Sports Networks with no additional fees.

The Ultimate Package has more than 130 channels and is $89.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.

The Premier Package has more than 140 channels and is $134.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.

To sign up, enter a phone number, email address and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of the service without charge.

In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it give you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote with Google Assistant, and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.

FuboTV

The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.

Will it be televised?

The Saints and Bucs will be broadcast on Fox and is subject to blackouts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.