What Time Is The Football Game Today? Why You Might Be Refreshing Your App for Nothing

If you’re sitting on the couch right now wondering what time is the football game today, I’ve got some news that might be a little annoying. You probably just came off a weekend of absolute chaos—Wild Card blowouts, nail-biters, and maybe a few lost bets.

But today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

Honestly? There isn't a game on.

We are currently in that weird "dead zone" between the NFL Wild Card round and the Divisional playoffs. The Houston Texans just finished dismantling the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 last night to close out the opening round. Now, the league takes a collective breath.

When the NFL Returns to Your Screen

The NFL doesn't do Tuesday games unless a massive blizzard or a global catastrophe shifts the schedule. You’ve basically got a few days to get your chores done before the Divisional Round starts on Saturday.

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If you were hoping for a midweek fix, you'll have to settle for Hard Knocks: In Season on HBO tonight at 9 p.m. It's the season finale featuring the NFC East, which is decent enough for a Tuesday night, but it isn't live football.

Here is exactly when the real action starts back up:

• Saturday, January 17: The Buffalo Bills head to the thin air of Denver to face the top-seeded Broncos. That kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
• Saturday Night: We get an NFC West grudge match. The San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
• Sunday, January 18: The Houston Texans travel to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots at 3:00 p.m. ET.
• Sunday Nightcap: The Los Angeles Rams visit the Chicago Bears at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

It’s kinda wild to see the Broncos and Seahawks as the number one seeds, but that’s where we are in 2026. If you're looking for what time is the football game today because you're a college fan, the situation is even more lonesome.

The College Football National Championship Wait

The College Football Playoff semifinals just wrapped up on January 8 and 9. We saw Indiana—yes, the Hoosiers—and Miami punch their tickets to the big dance.

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If you are looking for the National Championship, you are about six days early.

The Indiana Hoosiers will face the Miami Hurricanes for all the marbles on Monday, January 19, 2026. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It’s the first time either program has ever made it to the CFP final, so the hype is genuinely off the charts.

Tonight, you can catch College Football Live on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. or listen to the College GameDay Podcast, but the actual pads won't pop until next week.

What to Watch Instead

Since the field is empty today, sports bettors and fans are mostly looking at college hoops. It's a massive Tuesday for basketball.

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• Indiana at Michigan State (6:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
• Wisconsin at Minnesota (7:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
• Texas A&M at Tennessee (7:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
• Iowa State at Kansas (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

That Kansas game is usually a heater. If you absolutely need a "football" fix, the NFL Network is running The Insiders at 7 p.m. to talk about the coaching carousel, which is already spinning at a dizzying pace after Black Monday.

Actionable Next Steps

Since there’s no game today, use this gap to set yourself up for the weekend.

1. Check your streaming logins. The Divisional round is spread across CBS/Paramount+, FOX, and NBC/Peacock. Make sure you aren't fighting with a password reset ten minutes before the Bills-Broncos kickoff.
2. Monitor the injury reports. Keep an eye on the Texans’ offensive line health before they head to New England; they looked beat up at the end of the Steelers game.
3. Book your Monday night. If you’re a college fan, clear your schedule for January 19 now. A Miami home-field advantage for the title game is going to make tickets nearly impossible to get, but the TV broadcast on ESPN will be cinematic.

The answer to what time is the football game today is simply "not today." Take the night off, watch some hoops, and get ready for a four-game NFL blitz starting Saturday afternoon.