It's that blessed time of year again, the end of the NFL season culminating in the face off to end them all: the Super Bowl.

And even if you're only in it for the commercials and heavenly snacks—and not rooting for the Seahawks with everything you've got like I am—there's one thing that unites all of us at this time of year, and that's chicken wings.

Yup, the greasy, spicy, mouth-watering little snacks are basically the honorary mascot for the big game, no matter what team is playing. But this year, something is happening to all the chicken wings in America.

According to Bloomberg, government data shows a drop in chicken slaughtering has caused a drop in the total number of wings by about 50 million! And anyone who knows about supply, demand, and capitalism knows that this means one thing—higher prices.

Processors in Georgia set the benchmark price for chicken wings in the nation, and their cost has risen 6.6 percent in January to $1.69 a pound. Another reason for higher prices is that the number of wing-based restaurants has grown to over 2,000 in the last five years, an increase of 7 percent.

And while the number of wings consumed on Feb. 1 for game day stays relatively stable—at about 1.25 BILLION—the price is up by 30 percent. So don't count on your wings before game day, make sure you stock up well in advance even if it sets you back a little more than it has in the past.

After all, there's no substitute for chicken wings. Just try to savor every bite!