Hoping to strike it rich? It’s time to get lucky with the digits.
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached a staggering $800 million for Tuesday night, marking it as the 10th-largest jackpot in the history of the game. As anticipation heats up, lottery dreamers across the nation seek any possible advantage.
Aiming to assist these hopefuls, the Michigan-based online outlet MLive conducted an in-depth analysis, examining over a year’s worth of past games. The study covered 136 Mega Millions drawings dating back to April 8, 2025, to identify the numbers that have historically brought the most success.
Leading the lucky numbers is 40, which has made its way onto winning tickets 17 times.
Following closely are numbers 18, 42, and 49, each showing up 16 times in the draws. Meanwhile, 56 and 63 have each appeared 15 times, making them strong contenders for prospective ticket buyers.
More belles of the balls: 12 was drawn 11 times, and the numbers 7, 16 and 24 were pulled nine times each.
But for every winner, there’s an airball.
Seven unlucky digits — 1, 3, 20, 28, 29, 46 and 67 — have been selected a measly five times each since the overhaul, making them the duds of the draw. And if you’ve been loyally playing 11 or 15 as your Mega Ball, the universe owes you an apology: Those two have shown up just twice in 15 months.
Of course, as luck-driven legends like millennial babe Katniss Everdeen and boomer bestie Nathan Detroit know, odds are sometimes odd. Lightning can strike any five balls at any time.
But hey, when there’s $800 million on the line, even the most rational among us might start eyeing that “hot” list a little closer.
Want to keep your eye on the balls? Here’s the full list, as culled by writer Matt Durr.
The most popular Mega Millions white balls since April 2025:
40 — 17 times
18, 42, 49 — 16 times
56, 63 — 15 times
10, 17 — 14 times
The most popular Mega Millions red balls since April 2025:
11, 13, 24, 38, 43 —13 times
7, 16, 24 — Nine times
12 — 11 times
1 — 1 time
The least popular Mega Millions white balls since April 2025:
1, 3, 20, 28, 29, 46, 67 — Five times
7, 23, 32, 54, 61 — Six times
The least popular Mega Millions red balls since April 2025:
13, 20 — Three times
21, 22 — Four times
11, 15 — Twice
Gambling should be fun. If it’s not anymore, anonymous help is available. Dial 1-877-8-HOPENY to take a pause, judgement-free.