Green Bay Packers playoff hopes still linger, but ticket prices reflect pessimism
Football coaches as a tribe like to downplay the "must win" scenario, at least publicly, but for the Green Bay Packers, the final four games of the season are just that.
If the Packers win out, they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Lose one game and it's over. Tickets prices for those games, three of which will be at Lambeau Field, reflect the it-will-soon-be-over outcome, but that could change quickly.
According to a neat interactive simulator by the New York Times, the Packers have a 6% chance of earning a wild card spot in the playoffs prior to the coming weekend's games. There are endless outcomes depending on which teams win over the next four weeks, but to simplify matters, if the Packers win out and finish 9-8, they have a 55% chance of making the playoffs. If they win out and the Seattle Seahawks lose two games, their odds increase to 71%. If the New York Giants and Washington Commanders kindly lose a game or two along the way, the Packers' chances are even better.
The Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams are first on the Packers' must-beat list. The Rams, to whom the Super Bowl must seem a distant dream, are 4-9 after squeaking out an improbable 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
The average of lowest prices at 10 secondary market sites is $59, down from $66 one week ago. The lowest face-value price for tickets in the Lambeau Field bowl is $123. It's a Monday night game, so that works to keep prices down if the opponent isn't attractive, and this year the Rams are not. Also, the long-range weather forecast calls for a high temperature of 23 degrees — colder at game time, of course.
In week 16, while Green Bay is in Miami, Packers fans should root for the Minnesota Vikings over the Giants, the San Francisco 49ers over the Commanders and the Kansas City Chiefs over the Seahawks. None of those outcomes would be unreasonable. That raises the Packers' wild card hopes to 87%, assuming they keep winning themselves, according to the New York Times' simulator.
The average get-in price for the Christmas Day game is $167, down from $182 last week. The Dolphins got off to a surprisingly good start this season, but lost two games in a row and are 8-5 in the suddenly vulnerable-looking NFC East, where the New York Jets and New England Patriots also are on two-game losing streaks and the Buffalo Bills have won four in a row.
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Green Bay finishes the season hosting the Vikings and the Detroit Lions, who played each other Sunday and are having the oddest of seasons. The Vikings, who lead the NFC North division with a 10-3 record, have scored one less point than their opponents this season. The Lions, who are 6-7, scored two more points than their opponents. On Sunday, the Lions scored 11 more points than the Vikings, who they defeated 34-23 in Detroit.
The average get-in price for the Vikings game was $142 on Monday, up from $137 the week before. The Vikings defeated the Packers 23-7 on opening day in Minneapolis. The Packers lost three of their last four games against the Vikings, but are 4-3 under head coach Matt LaFleur.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the Lions are suddenly hot on the field and slightly less so off. The average lowest get-in price for the season finale at Lambeau Field on the weekend of Jan. 7 was $50 on Monday, a $6 increase from the week before. Still a huge bargain.
Those prices could increase if the final game of the season will decide who makes the playoffs for one or both teams, and when the NFL finally decides which day and what time the game will be played.
Ticket prices
The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Monday.
For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we averaged the lowest ticket prices at 10 secondary market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticketmaster, TickPick, Ticket King and Vivid Seats.
Note that ticket marketplaces can add fees on top of listed prices, so actual costs might be higher.
Some websites offer standing room only tickets for Packers home games. The Packers have designated these tickets as "not available for resale," so buyers proceed at their own risk. If the ticket does not scan as valid, fans won't be admitted to the stadium, and their recourse for a refund is to contact the seller of the ticket.
Dec. 19, 7:15 p.m., Los Angeles Rams, Lambeau Field, ESPN/ABC
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $59
Range of lowest-cost seats: $40-$79
Dec. 25, noon, Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, Fox
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seats: $167
Range of lowest-cost seats: $85-$233
Jan. 1, 3:25 p.m., Minnesota Vikings, Lambeau Field, CBS
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $142
Range of lowest-cost seats: $100-$216
Jan. 7 or Jan. 8, time to be determined, Detroit Lions, Lambeau Field, network to be determined
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seats: $50
Range of lowest-cost seats: $40-$64
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay Packers playoff hopes linger, but ticket prices remain cheap
