Mega Millions Analysis Reveals Which Numbers Hit Most And Least Often

If winning the lottery is your number-one retirement plan, then you need the right numbers to bring home the bacon.

With $300 million up for grabs in this week's (Tuesday) Mega Millions drawing, knowing which ping-pong balls have been drawn most often might be the key to winning big.

Playcasino.com has counted every number in all 930 Mega Millions drawings from October 31, 2017, when the main numbers went up to 70, to September 25, 2026.

The number 10 ball has been drawn 86 times since Mega Millions moved to 70 numbers in October 2017, more than any other number, according to an analysis of all 930 drawings by the data experts at playcasino.com.

READ MORE: Sioux Falls Gets New Mexican Restaurant As El Agave Opens in Casa Del Rey Space

Of course, past results do not affect future drawings, but just in case you're curious, the most drawn Mega Millions main numbers since October 2017 are:

1. 10 - drawn 86 times
2. 17 - drawn 84 times
3. 31 - drawn 80 times
4. 3 - drawn 79 times
5. 42 - drawn 78 times

Since the price of a play went up to $5 in April 2025, 17, 18, 40, 42 and 49 have been drawn the most, 17 times each, against an average of 11. 28 has been drawn the least, just five times, and has not come out since March 27.

Among the Mega Balls, 12 has been drawn the most since the $5 game began, 13 times, and 10 of those have come this year, about three times as often as you would expect. It was also the Mega Ball in July's $803 million jackpot.

Mega Ball 18 has gone the other way. It has not been drawn once in 2026 and has now gone 80 drawings without being picked, since December 19 last year. That does not make it due. In every drawing, each Mega Ball has the same 1 in 24 chance of being picked, regardless of how long it has been away.

68 has come out in each of the last three drawings, on September 18, 22 and 25. A number has come up in three drawings in a row 23 times since 2017, but never four.

Tuesday's jackpot is $300 million, with a cash option of $124.1 million. It has rolled over 17 times since a ticket sold in Bradenton, Florida, won $803 million on July 28.

Get our free mobile app