BALTIMORE — Preparations are underway for the Baltimore Ravens to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a home game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Tickets for the AFC Championship game went on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. They were expected to sell out quickly.
Looking at secondary market websites like Ticketmaster and Seat Geek, seats in the stadium are already going for hundreds, and in some cases thousands of dollars.
This is the first time Baltimore will host an AFC championship game since the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders in January 1971. The duel between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson is the first playoff matchup between former MVP quarterbacks who are both under 30, according to the NFL. Obviously, fans want a front-row seat to history.
For context, the last time the Ravens played host to a title game, tickets cost $12.
RELATED: Now one win from a Super Bowl, the Ravens face a big hurdle in Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs
The Chiefs — along with Patrick Mahomes, Taylor Swift and a bare-chested Jason Kelce — are back in the AFC championship game for an impressive sixth straight season after they earned a narrow victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens opened as a 3 1/2-point favorite over the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The game will air on WUSA9 at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28
The winners of the AFC and NFC championships will play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas during Super Bowl 58 on Feb. 11.
Remember, follow these tips from the Better Business Bureau when purchasing tickets to avoid scammers:
- Purchase from the venue whenever possible. Many official ticket sales agents now offer secondary sales options, as well.
- Consider your source. Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper (an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller), and a scammer selling scam tickets.
- Check out the seller/broker. Look them up on BBB.org to learn what other customers have experienced. Check to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee on tickets. Look up the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm you are buying from a NATB-member resale company.
- Buy only from trusted vendors. Buy online only from vendors you know and trust. Look for the lock symbol in the web address to indicate a secure purchasing system. Don’t click through from emails or online ads; a common ticket scam trick is to create a web address that is similar to a well-known company.
- Know the refund policy. You should only purchase tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction. Sellers should disclose to the purchaser, before purchase, the location of the seats represented by the tickets, either orally or by reference to a seating chart; and, if the tickets are not available for immediate access to the purchaser, disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pick up.
- Use payment methods that come with protection. Always use a credit card, so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfers, or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you won’t be able to get your money back.
- Be wary of advertisements. When you search the web for online tickets, advertisements for cheap tickets will often appear. Use good judgment; some of these ads will be ticket scams, especially if the prices are low.
- If you’re unsure, verify your tickets. Pay a visit to the arena where the event will be held. Present your ticket to “Will Call” (customer service), and they can verify if your ticket is legitimate and show you how to tell if it is fake.
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