Want to get rich? Get some balls.
Tuesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot now stands at a scream-worthy $800 million — the 10th-largest haul in the game’s history. And lottery hopefuls nationwide are looking for any edge they can get.
Enter the online Michigan outlet MLive, which combed through over a year’s worth of games — 136 drawings going back to April 8, 2025 — to find the most “successful” numbers on a ticket.
Lucky number 40 tops the list — it’s rolled onto tickets 17 times.
Next up are 18, 42 and 49 — each were summoned 16 times — followed by 56 and 63, which each appeared 15 times in a Mega Millions draw.
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.
