The Most (and Least) Expensive NFL Teams to See Before the Playoffs

December 7, 2017 by Grant Suneson

Buying a ticket to an National Football League game is no small undertaking. Even the cheapest tickets are usually at least $100, and the average ticket price across the NFL is at least double that. And in stadiums where tickets are in high demand, a seat can cost much more. Buying a ticket to a New England Patriots home game through the first 13 weeks of the season costs $569 on average.

The NFL season is winding down, and the playoff dreams of some teams are already over. While seeing these teams now can be a bitter experience for fans, the upside is that games can also be cheaper. However, games of teams that are still in the hunt or of elite teams trying to establish a first-round bye are likely to be some of the most high-intensity games of the years. Tickets to these games will sell at a premium.

Ticketing market intelligence company TicketIQ provided 24/7 Wall St. with average prices for every game in the 2017 NFL season, including the current average price for each of the remaining games. Depending on the team you follow, you can expect to pay less than $100 or over $500.

Click here to see the average ticket price for each team’s remaining 2017 home games.

How much you can expect to pay to see your favorite team’s home games depends on a number of factors in addition to team quality. Who the team plays has a major impact on ticket prices. Hosting a generally weak opponent with a smaller fanbase, such as Cleveland or Buffalo, tends to generate less demand and therefore command lower ticket prices, while hosting New England, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Dallas tends to drive up prices.

The size of the fanbase can also meaningfully affect ticket prices. Most of the least expensive NFL games this season involve teams in smaller metropolitan areas that have fewer fans to draw on. In major cities, with millions of fans, ticket prices are often high — even if the team is having an abysmal season. In the five largest metropolitan areas in the country — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston, the average ticket price is higher than for the majority of NFL teams in most cases, despite the majority of these being either long shots to make the playoffs or already statistically eliminated.

The NFL teams on this are ranked based on average ticket prices for the remaining home games. All listed averages are for after-market tickets, and were provided by TicketIQ. Prices are as of the end of week 13 of the 2017 NFL season, as are all statistics, and team records. Stadium attendance figures are from ESPN’s NFL page, and are also as of the conclusion of the week 13 games.

32. Cleveland Browns
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $87
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $89
> Current record: 0-12
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 64,425 (86.3% capacity)

It should come as no surprise that the hapless Cleveland Browns have the cheapest tickets in the NFL. The Browns haven’t won a game all year and they don’t look like they’re going to turn it around any time soon. Most Cleveland fans are likely having trouble finding a good reason to attend a game, and tickets are unsurprisingly cheap as dirt.

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31. Indianapolis Colts
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $98
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $110
> Current record: 3-9
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 64,715 (101.5% capacity)

The Indianapolis Colts’ season seemed to be over before it even began when news broke that franchise quarterback Andrew Luck would miss the season recovering from a lingering shoulder issue. The Colts have limped to a 3-9 record and are all but eliminated from playoff contention.

30. Buffalo Bills
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $107
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $130
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 70,050 (93.9% capacity)

Though the Buffalo Bills are still in the playoff hunt at 6-6, their final two home games leave something to be desired. The Bills play the Colts and the Dolphins in Week 14 and 15, respectively, to round out their home slate. Those two teams are both last in their divisions.

29. San Francisco 49ers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $119
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $151
> Current record: 2-10
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 67,488 (102.4% capacity)

As the San Francisco 49ers go through a rebuilding year, fans are losing interest — at least in going to games. Ticket prices for 49ers games dropped by about 21% for the final two home games compared to their first six. Despite the lower interest the drop in price suggests, San Francisco still has the fifth-highest home attendance percentage at 102.4% of capacity.

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28. Cincinnati Bengals
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $122
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $132
> Current record: 5-7
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 69,162 (83.0% capacity)

Fans are typically more excited to come to big rivalry games, but Cincinnati already played its home games against their AFC North foes, the Browns, Steelers, and Ravens. And as the playoffs seem less and less likely for the 5-7 Bengals, fans in Cincinnati have less reason to be excited.

27. New York Jets
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $124
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $163
> Current record: 5-7
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 61,689 (94.0% capacity)

They say New York tends to be more expensive, but that’s not always true — especially when it comes to Jets tickets. The cost of going to a Jets game dropped nearly 24% from the Jets’ first seven home games to $124 for the team’s home finale.

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26. Jacksonville Jaguars
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $124
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $108
> Current record: 8-4
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 66,584 (89.5% capacity)

Though Jacksonville is generally one of the cheapest places to catch an NFL game, Jaguars tickets are going up in price. The surprising Jags are 8-4, tied with the Titans for first place in the AFC South. Jacksonville will host the banged-up Seahawks and Texans for the team’s final two home games ahead of what could be the Jaguars first playoff appearance in a decade.

25. Tennessee Titans
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $143
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $168
> Current record: 8-4
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 63,436 (96.3% capacity)

Though the Titans are 8-4, the team is still in the bottom half of the league in home attendance percentage. Even though Tennessee’s two final home games are against two potential playoff teams — the Rams and Jaguars — prices for Titans tickets have dropped from $168 for the first six home games to $143 for the last two.

24. Baltimore Ravens
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $148
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $156
> Current record: 7-5
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 64,450 (99.4% capacity)

What initially looked like it could be a disappointing season in Baltimore has turned around dramatically. The Ravens (7-5) are in the playoff hunt after winning their last three games. If they continue their winning ways, it could push ticket prices up for Baltimore’s two final home games in weeks 16 against the Colts and week 17 against the Bengals. They are favored in both games.

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23. Washington Redskins
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $151
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $164
> Current record: 5-7
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 75,592 (83.1% capacity)

The Washington Redskins (5-7) are outside of the NFC playoff picture, and their two remaining home games are nothing to write home about. Washington will face off against the 5-7 Cardinals and the 3-9 Broncos. Though those could be winnable games, Washington may be too far behind other NFC teams for it to matter.

22. Arizona Cardinals
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $153
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $163
> Current record: 5-7
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 68,206 (101.4% capacity)

Injuries to star running back David Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer derailed the Arizona Cardinals’ season. Despite the disappointment, Cardinals fans have stayed loyal. Going into Week 14, tickets have only dropped $10 on average from $163 to $153, and Arizona still has one of the highest attendance percentages in the NFL at 101.4% of the stadium’s capacity.

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21. Kansas City Chiefs
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $163
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $179
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 73,333 (98.5% capacity)

Though tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs’ rivalry game against the Oakland Raiders are selling for $199, tickets for the team’s two other remaining home games are much less expensive, at $156 and $151. After looking dominant for the first half of the season, the Chiefs have lost four in a row and six of their last seven. Chiefs fans may be sensing disaster for the team.

20. Chicago Bears
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $166
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $230
> Current record: 3-9
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 69,681 (100.0% capacity)

The Chicago Bears have seen one of the steepest drops in home ticket prices, and their final game at home against the Browns will be the cheapest of the season. The Bears are struggling at 3-9, and the initial excitement of seeing rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky play may have worn off. Still, the Bears have passionate fans and Chicagoans are willing to bear down and sit through cold weather to watch their team. Soldier Field has been 100.0% full on average for Bears games in 2017.

19. New Orleans Saints
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $202
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $195
> Current record: 9-3
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 71,565 (100.3% capacity)

For one of the most dominant teams in the NFL, tickets at the Superdome have been relatively inexpensive this season. The Saints, with one of the most exciting players to watch this year, rookie running back Alvin Kamara, lead the NFC South. New Orleans’ remaining two games at home are split between one unexciting matchup with the lowly Jets in Week 15 and a potential game of the week against the Falcons the following week.

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18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $206
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $194
> Current record: 4-8
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 69,411 (91.9% capacity)

Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8) were hoping for a better start to their season, the team’s tickets are increasing in value. The average price of a seat for the first five home games was $194, but the average price for the final three games is $206, largely because of the Bucs’ Week 17 rivalry matchup with the Saints.

17. Detroit Lions
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $210
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $203
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 70,926 (99.4% capacity)

NFL rivalry games mean more to players and fans than a standard matchup. That’s especially true when the playoffs are on the line. The 6-6 Lions will face their NFC North foes, the 6-6 Green Bay Packers, in the last week of the season. That game could decide who makes the playoffs and who is eliminated, which may be why tickets for the matchup sell for an average of $236, driving up the average price for Lions home tickets.

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16. Los Angeles Rams
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $212
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $177
> Current record: 9-3
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 70,991 (89.4% capacity)

Los Angeles has a reputation of being a poor sports town, and it is easy to see why. The Rams have one of the league’s best records, yet fans don’t seem to care. The team struggles to fill its temporary home, the L.A. Coliseum. L.A. has plenty of people who can afford pricey tickets, but many of them must be spending their time elsewhere, as games this year have averaged less than 90% capacity.

15. Houston Texans
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $236
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $236
> Current record: 4-8
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 64,192 (101.0% capacity)

The argument could be made that no team has had a more heartbreaking season than the Texans, who currently have more than a dozen players on injured reserve, including star defensive end J.J. Watt. The team looked like it had a shot of fighting through these injuries thanks to the otherworldly play of rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, but Watson himself sustained a season-ending knee injury during a routine practice drill early in November. Houston is 1-4 since Watson went down. The 4-8 Texans are all but eliminated at this point, but a home matchup against the Steelers in Week 16 is sure to draw fans.

14. Minnesota Vikings
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $243
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $236
> Current record: 10-2
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 69,052 (91.4% capacity)

Perhaps one of the most surprising teams in the league this year, the Vikings are tied with three other teams for the best record in the NFL and hold a commanding lead in the NFC North. Still, the team is selling home games at less than capacity, and it has the lowest home ticket prices of the NFL’s four 10-2 teams. Games against the 5-7 Bengals and the 3-9 Bears will likely not drive up prices for the year.

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13. Carolina Panthers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $246
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $231
> Current record: 8-4
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 67,268 (100.1% capacity)

The Panthers have a lot of variation in ticket prices for their three remaining home games. The average price for the Week 14 matchup against the 10-2 Vikings will cost an average of $221. But a ticket to the Week 15 game against the Packers will cost an average of $371. Surprisingly, the NFC South matchup with the Buccaneers is drawing much less attention as a seat to that games costs $175 on average.

12. New York Giants
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $248
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $243
> Current record: 2-10
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 71,679 (93.6% capacity)

As far as unmitigated disasters go, few NFL teams this year fit the bill better than the Giants. The team finished last season with an 11-5 record — thanks in large part to superhuman wide receiver Odell Beckham. But nothing has gone right for the 2-10 Giants this year, and ODB’s devastating season-ending injury in Week 5 was the nail in the coffin. The Giants even benched two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning for Geno Smith. On December 4, the team fired head coach Ben McAdoo and long-time General Manager Jerry Reese.

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11. Green Bay Packers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $274
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $240
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 70,887 (107.1% capacity)

The Green Bay Packers are known for having passionate fans. There are more than 125,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets, so it’s no surprise fans have to shell out good money for a ticket. The Packers have just one home game left, and it’s against the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings. The Packers still hope to make the playoffs, especially with MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers rumored to be close to a return from a collarbone injury — and that Vikings game could be crucial.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $283
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $287
> Current record: 10-2
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 66,411 (98.6% capacity)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL, and ticket prices certainly reflect that. The Steelers’ Week 15 game against the New England Patriots could decide who gets the first seed in the AFC playoffs, The Steelers’ Week 15 game against the New England Patriots could decide who gets the first seed in the AFC playoffs, and ticket prices for that game average $436.

9. Denver Broncos
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $334
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $425
> Current record: 3-9
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 67,024 (100.6% capacity)

A promising 3-1 start for the Denver Broncos has completely tanked. The Broncos have lost their last eight games and would need a miracle to make the playoffs. Still, Broncos tickets are among the most expensive in the league, but they started out even pricier. Ticket prices to a game in Denver averaged $425 for the first six games, but the average for the final two home games has dropped more than $90 to $334.

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8. Los Angeles Chargers
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $336
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $282
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 71,351 (0.0% capacity)

The tickets for Chargers games may be expensive, but that doesn’t mean they are in high demand. The Chargers have the lowest attendance in the league by a wide margin, even though the team is tied for first place in the AFC West. In Week 17, the Chargers face the Oakland Raiders, who were once a Los Angeles team, in Week 17.

7. Miami Dolphins
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $344
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $294
> Current record: 5-7
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 71,446 (99.6% capacity)

For many NFL games, the home team isn’t as important for ticket prices as the visitors, and it appears that’s the case in Miami. The Dolphins are hosting the New England Patriots in Week 14, and tickets for that game sell for an average of $465. Tickets to the Week 17 home finale against the Buffalo Bills are hundreds of dollars cheaper, at $242. Dolphins fans are likely eager to see if their team can knock off the dominant Patriots, and there could be plenty of New England residents planning a trip to warmer climates to watch the Patriots.

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6. Philadelphia Eagles
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $348
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $332
> Current record: 10-2
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 78,070 (103.0% capacity)

The Eagles are one of the NFL’s four 10-2 teams and the only one of the four to average over 100% capacity for home games this year. Philadelphia’s Week 17 match at home against division rival Dallas is going to be one of the most expensive games of the season, with after-market tickets for that game averaging $433.

5. Atlanta Falcons
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $364
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $395
> Current record: 7-5
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 68,634 (95.3% capacity)

Coming off an NFC Championship and playing in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Atlanta Falcons have a lot going for them. Many sports fans in Georgia and beyond are likely clamoring to see the state-of-the-art facility while checking out one of the NFL’s most exciting teams. That combined excitement is a likely explanation for the high ticket prices.

4. Seattle Seahawks
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $366
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $393
> Current record: 8-4
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 72,161 (102.9% capacity)

Seattle Seahawks fans are known as the 12th man because their loud cheering is said to give the team a significant home field advantage. With fans that passionate, it makes sense that tickets in Seattle are more expensive than almost anywhere else. Ticket prices have averaged well over $300 all season and could continue to climb in anticipation of a Rams-Seahawks matchup, which could determine the winner of the NFC West.

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3. Dallas Cowboys
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $404
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $403
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 72,868 (116.0% capacity)

Dallas is having less than an ideal year, thanks in part to the loss of Ezekiel Elliott to a six-game suspension. The Cowboys have lost three of the four games they’ve played since their star running back began serving his suspension and are now 6-6. Still, America’s team, which operates in a massive market and has fans all over the country, is a major draw whether it is good or bad. And the Cowboys games against Philadelphia and the competitive Raiders is projected to be the most expensive games for the remainder of the season between any two teams.

2. New England Patriots
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $459
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $569
> Current record: 10-2
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 72,105 (95.8% capacity)

New England may never lose another game. The Patriots have won eight straight, and most of them in convincing fashion. Tom Brady has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he leads the league in passing yards. The Patriots are currently 2-1 odds to win the Super Bowl — again. With a playoff berth firmly in hand, ticket prices for the Pats’ remaining games have waned a bit from the average Gillette Stadium price through week 13 of $569, but the electrifying Super Bowl champs still command some of the most expensive tickets in the NFL through season’s end.

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1. Oakland Raiders
> Avg. remaining home ticket price: $526
> Avg. home game price through wk. 13: $346
> Current record: 6-6
> Avg. 2017 home attendance: 71,571 (87.1% capacity)

It may be surprising that a team with a 6-6 record has the highest remaining ticket prices, but the Oakland Raiders have a lot going for them. They’re in a three-way tie for first in the AFC West, and Raiders fans have only one more chance to see their team this season — and that game is against the Dallas Cowboys. Since the Cowboys have a large fanbase across the country, high demand is likely driving up prices for the Raiders’ home finale.

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