The Most Common Mega Millions Numbers Don't Matter

We'll be honest: No matter what any site tells you, your chances of winning the lottery are close to zero. Dominique James / Shutterstock

The last Mega Millions jackpot paid roughly $50 million in cash, though many jackpots in recent history have exceeded the billion-dollar mark. With potential windfalls reaching those extreme levels, it's easy to see why so many people play each week.

Some gamblers track the most common Mega Millions numbers drawn. However, just because these numbers were lucky once doesn't mean they will give you a better chance at winning the next Mega Millions jackpot.

Winning Powerball or Mega Millions is a long shot, and the statistics of cashing in a jackpot and retiring to somewhere tropical like the Maldives or Virgin Islands are astronomical. Yet, hopeful gamblers continue to watch the results of each drawing with fingers crossed, praying that their lucky numbers finally appear.

Contents

10 Most Common 'White Ball' Numbers
10 Most Common Mega Ball Number Sections
Not-so-fun Fact

10 Most Common 'White Ball' Numbers

The following list shows the most common numbers in every Mega Millions drawing, beginning in January 2012 and ending in August 2024.

31 (appeared in 102 drawings)
17 (95 drawings)
3 (94 drawings)
29 (93 drawings)
10 (92 drawings)
20 (91 drawings)
46 (90 drawings)
14 (89 drawings)
25 (88 drawings)
38 (87 drawings)

10 Most Common Mega Ball Number Sections

Picking numbers for Mega Millions tickets is entirely luck of the draw. Data on winning numbers will illustrate the winning numbers people played in the past, not which ones are more likely to appear in the future. That said, these are the most common Mega Ball number selections.

11 (drawn 63 times)
9 (62 times)
4 (60 times)
10 (59 times)
15 (59 times)
7 (58 times)
1 (55 times)
13 (55 times)
14 (54 times)
3 (54 times)

Not-so-fun Fact

Roughly half of the million-dollar jackpot winners in history quit their jobs. However, many winners' poor money decisions eventually force them back into the workforce.