TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — How do you pick your lottery numbers? With the Mega Millions jackpot now up to $750 million, a lot of people are thinking about how to pick theirs.
Many people use birthdays while others use lucky numbers or their own system. But some players will look at the statistics and try to choose the numbers that come up most often.
According to LottoNumbers.com, the most drawn Mega Millions numbers are 31, 17, 39, 48, 4 and 10.
The most drawn Mega Ball number is 3. It’s been drawn 94 times since the first draw on Sept. 6, 1996. It was last drawn 159 days ago on Aug. 7, 2020.
But what about the most overdue numbers? LottoNumbers.com also compiled a list of the numbers that haven’t been drawn for the longest amount of time.
The website shows the 15 most overdue main numbers are 40, 21, 2, 30, 63, 22, 42, 41, 38, 47, 49, 5, 11, 32 and 52. The most overdue Mega Ball number is 24. That number was last drawn 194 days ago on July 3, 2020.
The next winning numbers for the Mega Millions jackpot will be drawn Friday at 11 p.m. after no tickets matched all the numbers drawn Tuesday night. The Mega Millions numbers drawn Tuesday were 12, 14, 26, 28 and 33 with Mega Ball 9.
The estimated $750 million jackpot is now the fifth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
FAQs
The five most frequent numbers are 17, 31, 10, 46, and 20 — all five have been drawn at least once since the last Mega Millions jackpot was won in December. As for the Mega Ball, only six numbers have been drawn more than 100 times: 1, 3, 9, 10, 15, and 7.
What is the best way to pick Mega Millions numbers? ›
With odds that slim, Glickman said it's best to focus on picking numbers that are completely random. That will help ensure you're not making the same picks as someone else — and that you won't have to split the prize money with anyone, should you win.
How do you win big on Mega Millions? ›
You win the Mega Millions jackpot by matching your numbers to all six numbers pulled in the drawing.
What are the least common Mega Millions numbers? ›
The 'loneliest' numbers
The main numbers that have been drawn the least number of times during the last seven years are 51 and 49. Those numbers have only been drawn 34 times. As for the Mega Ball, one number holds the least-drawn spot: 8, drawn just 18 times in the past seven years.
Has anyone ever won Mega Millions with quick pick? ›
$536 Million (Indiana) On July 8, 2016, an Indiana couple won this mega jackpot after buying 5 Quick Pick tickets on a road trip. The winning family was able to remain anonymous by accepting their prize through a law firm in the state.
Do you have to pick the numbers in order for Mega Millions? ›
Not at all! In a lotto game like Mega Millions, the order in which the numbers are drawn does not matter. The numbers on your ticket are always shown in numerical order, as are the winning numbers for each drawing as reported here on megamillions.com.
Does 2 numbers win anything on Mega Millions? ›
If you match one regular number and the Mega Ball, the prize is $4. If you match two white balls only, there is no prize. You can win a Mega Millions payout with one of nine different number combinations, and the prizes range from $2 to the jackpot.
What is the best strategy to win the lottery? ›
Aside from purchasing multiple lottery tickets with different number combinations, there is no way to increase your chance of winning the lottery with one ticket, Clotfelter said. However, it can help to let the computer pick your numbers instead of choosing them yourself.
What is the formula for winning the lottery? ›
If the order of the lottery number doesn't make a difference, then each lottery number is called a combination of numbers, and we calculate the probability of winning the lottery using the following formula: a n C r , where nCr is the number of combinations possible of the lottery number, and. r ! ( n − r ) ! .
What to do to increase your chances of winning the lottery? ›
To better your chances of winning any lottery, you have to buy more tickets, he said. The more tickets, the more chances of choosing the right combination of numbers.
How many Mega Millions winning numbers do you need to match to win a prize? You only need to match one number in Mega Millions to win a prize. However, that number must be the Mega Ball, worth $2.
Are Mega Millions numbers random? ›
The numbers are randomly selected by the USA Mega web server and conveniently sorted by the Mega Ball number.
Has anyone won Mega Millions from online ticket? ›
She bought her winning ticket online at MichiganLottery.com. “I decided to buy a Mega Millions ticket because the jackpot was so high,” said Lawson. “The next day I saw an email from the Lottery notifying me that I'd won a prize.
Has anyone ever won both Mega Millions and Powerball? ›
Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots: Winning both the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots in the same drawing is essentially unheard of. The sheer improbability of matching all the winning numbers in both lotteries simultaneously makes it a statistical near-impossibility.
Who won Mega Millions in 2024? ›
After growing for more than 15 weeks, the Mega Millions® jackpot finally has its first winner of 2024! A lucky ticket-holder in New Jersey matched all six numbers drawn Tuesday night – the white balls 7, 11, 22, 29 and 38, plus the gold Mega Ball 4 – to take home the prize of $1.128 billion ($536.6 million cash).
What are the 6 luckiest numbers for Mega Millions? ›
As for the Mega Ball, only six numbers have been drawn more than 100 times: 1, 3, 9, 10, 15, and 7. Only 9 and 15 have not been pulled during this jackpot run, Lotto America shows. Your odds at the Mega Millions jackpot are slim – but can you increase them?
Is Megaplier worth it? ›
The Megaplier doesn't change your odds of winning Mega Millions, so it's important to keep in mind that it won't guarantee you any prizes. However, if you do win a non-jackpot prize, the Megaplier can significantly upgrade that prize.
