The 'luckiest' Mega Millions numbers in the last 7 years

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Despite the fact that some numbers have been drawn more frequently than others, you still have the same chance of winning.

WASHINGTON — The Mega Millions jackpot is currently sitting at an estimated $1.15 billion, and you may be wondering if some numbers are "luckier" than others.

The short answer: All combinations have the same tiny odds at winning. The chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $1 million to $2 million, are significantly better.

Players often wonder if there's a strategy to it. Despite the fact that some numbers have been drawn more frequently than others, you still have the same chance of winning.

Are some lottery numbers luckier?

Statistics professor Rong Chen said in a Q&A article from Rutgers University that any combination has the same odds. Being selected in the past doesn't mean a combination is more or less likely to win: "Those numbers have the same chance of winning as any other number today."

Chen said combinations that other players are less likely to pick, like strong patterns or numbers that are too high to be a birthdate, might reduce your chances of having to share the jackpot. That doesn't make you any more likely to actually win, though.

So even though the odds are the same, we wanted to take a look at the "luckiest" numbers in Mega Millions' recent history. These totals are from the last seven years — from Oct. 2017 to last Tuesday's drawing — according to lottery statistics site lottonumbers.com.

Most common main numbers

Here are the 10 most common numbers to be drawn on the five white balls for the past seven years.

3: Drawn 70 times
10: Drawn 69 times
14: Drawn 65 times
17: Drawn 65 times
29: Drawn 61 times
31: Drawn 64 times
43: Drawn 60 times
46: Drawn 64 times
64: Drawn 63 times
66: Drawn 62 times

Most common Mega Millions numbers

Here are the 10 most common numbers for the Mega Ball since 2017.

1: Drawn 29 times
3: Drawn 30 times
4: Drawn 35 times
9: Drawn 25 times
11: Drawn 40 times
17: Drawn 32 times
18: Drawn 37 times
22: Drawn 39 times
24: Drawn 37 times
25: Drawn 35 times

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 37 and 41 times.

As for the Mega Ball, one number holds the least-drawn spot: 5, drawn 22 times in the past seven years. It's been more than 118 days since it was drawn as the Mega Ball.

While the Mega Ball number of 10 has been drawn 27 times, it's been more than 320 days since it was last drawn.

We make a great pair!

10 and 17: Drawn 11 times
10 and 20: Drawn 10 times
3 and 19: Drawn 9 times
15 and 32: Drawn 9 times
8 and 31: Drawn 9 times
39 and 42: Drawn 8 times

When is the Mega Millions drawing?

Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern.

What are the largest Mega Millions jackpots?

$1.602 billion - August 8, 2023 - Florida
$1.537 billion - October 23, 2018 - South Carolina
$1.348 billion - January 13, 2023 - Maine
$1.337 billion - July 29, 2022 - Illinois
$1.150 billion (est) - Dec. 27, 2024
$1.128 billion - March 26, 2024 - New Jersey
$1.050 billion - January 22, 2021 - Michigan
$810 million - September 10, 2024 - Texas
$656 million - March 30, 2012 - Kansas/Illinois/Maryland
$648 million - December 17, 2013 - California/Georgia
$552 million - June 4, 2024 - Illinois

What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever?

$2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022 (one ticket, from California)
$1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023 (one ticket, from California)
$1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023 (one ticket, from Florida)
$1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
$1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)
$1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023 (one ticket, from Maine)
$1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022 (one ticket, from Illinois)
$1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024 (one ticket, Oregon)
$1.15 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024
$1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024 (one ticket, from New Jersey)
$1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023 (one ticket, from California)

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