Most Drawn Mega Millions Numbers (Real Data, All 2,513 Draws)
“Mega Millions' most-drawn number is 31 (239 times). But the 'cold' numbers are an illusion caused by the game's changing number field. Here's the honest read.”
Mega Millions is one of the two giant American lotteries, and our database holds 2,513 draws since 1996. Like Powerball, it has changed its number field over the years — which quietly distorts any 'most drawn' list that fails to account for it. Here is the real data, read honestly.
The 10 most-drawn Mega Millions numbers
The most-drawn number is 31, which has come up 239 times. It is followed by 10 (236), 17 (231), 20 (228) and 14 (227), then 46 (219), 24 (217), 39 and 2 (216 each), and 38 (215). The always-current ranking is on the Mega Millions stats page.
The 'cold' numbers — and the calendar trick behind them
The least-drawn numbers are 67 (69 times), 65 (75), 60 (78), then 70 and 61 (84 each) — and once again they are all at the high end of the range. The reason is the same as Powerball: availability. Mega Millions expanded its main field to 1–75 in October 2013, then settled on the current 1–70 range in October 2017. So the higher numbers entered the game years after the lower ones and have simply had fewer draws to show up in. They look cold, but they are really just younger.
What the honest data shows
Once you account for the timeline, the genuinely interesting figure is at the top: among the numbers that have been in the game the longest, 31 stands out as the real leader at 239 appearances. But even that gap is well within the range of normal randomness — over thousands of draws, some numbers cluster ahead and some fall behind, with no underlying cause. The 'pattern' is the absence of one.
Does it predict anything? No.
It does not. Every Mega Millions draw is independent and randomly generated. The current jackpot odds are 1 in 302,575,350, identical for every combination regardless of how often its numbers have appeared. A number drawn 239 times and one drawn 69 times are exactly as likely in the next draw. Frequency is history, not a forecast.
The only real edge
As with every lottery, the one practical insight is about not splitting the prize. Popular picks — birthdays (1–31), 'lucky' numbers, last draw's results — are played by far more people, so a win on those gets shared widely. Unpopular numbers won't improve your odds, but they improve your chances of being the only winner. That is the entire edge — payout, not probability.
Quick Mega Millions facts
Mega Millions is drawn twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday. You pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 plus 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 25, for jackpot odds of 1 in 302,575,350 — slightly steeper than Powerball. US winnings are taxed (federal plus state), and the cash option is roughly half the advertised annuity figure before tax.
Want to know if your numbers have ever come up? Check any Mega Millions combination against the full history in seconds. You can also compare the most-drawn numbers for Powerball, Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49, or read the full four-game breakdown.
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