The Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings meet Saturday, Dec. 16, and the winner will stay in the crowded playoff picture — at least for now. The loser could be in trouble. The game will be live streamed on DirecTV Stream (free trial) and fuboTV (free trial and $20 off the first two months).

The matchup of the 7-6 teams — both relying on backup quarterbacks to get them to the playoffs — is as close to a must-win as either has played this season.

The Bengals are in the middle of a crowd of six AFC teams with 7-6 records. A loss to Minnesota would leave their postseason aspirations in tough shape.

The Vikings have a one-game lead over a pack of NFC teams that are 6-7 going into the weekend. They play the AFC North-leading Lions (9-2) in the two of their last three games.

Cincinnati was all but written off when franchise quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury Nov. 16.

But backup Jake Browning — a former practice squad QB — has been exceptional in leading the Bengals to wins over the AFC South-leading Jaguars and the Colts in the past two weeks.

Journeyman Nick Mullens is set to start Saturday after relieving an ineffective Joshua Dobbs last week and helping lead the Vikings to a 3-0 victory at Las Vegas, snapping a two-game skid.

When is Vikings-Bengals?

The Vikings and Bengals play at noon (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday, Dec. 16.

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 Vikings and Bengals will be broadcast on The NFL Network.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.