Introduction
Winning a lottery is all about luck, right? While luck can go a long way towards helping you land a prize, many players have utilized science and math to identify the most common lotto winning numbers.
In this guide, we’ll explore the processes and systems used by avid lotto players to select winning numbers. We’ll also discover the most common numbers drawn to help you on your way to lotto success.
Picking lotto winning numbers
Lotteries have a long history, stretching back to the ancient Chinese Han dynasty (205-187 BC), but they were also very popular during the Middle Ages in Europe (in fact, the English word lottery is derived from a Dutch word meaning ‘fate’).
Since that time, lotteries have been enjoyed by most countries around the world, and the US is no exception. The two most popular lottos here are the Powerball, and Mega Millions, which offer a rollover jackpot reaching into hundreds of millions of dollars. They are available in most states across the country, and the District of Columbia, but tickets must be purchased in your resident state.
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When it comes to choosing the most winning lottery numbers, though, things become a little more complex. In general, there are three main groups of players:
Lucky Numbers
The first group consists of people who use the same numbers, usually with a special significance, every time. However, because so many people use this method, and often choose anniversaries or birthdays, you’ll find that numbers below 31 are shared between lots of players. That means opting for numbers above 31, if you can, gives you a better chance of not having to share a prize if you do win.
Interestingly, it can also be worth choosing numbers deemed unlucky,
for example 13, as this is less likely to be picked by other players. That means that any prizes formed with this number will have to be shared with fewer people. The reverse is true for numbers considered lucky, such as 7. Any winning combinations containing the number 7 are likely to be popular, so you’ll have to split your winnings with more people.
Random pickers
In the second camp, we have people who pick their lotto winning numbers completely at random every time they play. This could be by using the lottery’s designated quick pick option, or by just closing your eyes and pointing! You can also employ an online random number generator, which picks numbers based on an internal algorithm. This algorithm is designed to select numbers to replicate random chance. As this is how lotto numbers are picked in real life, this method effectively copies the official lotto choosing process.
This method has shown to be successful for around 70% of wins coming from the Powerball lotto. There are several free random number generators available online, including Random.org and LotteryRandom.com.
Strategy pickers
In the third group, you’ll find lotto players who employ mathematical and scientific strategies to help them pick the most winning lottery numbers. This could be done by utilizing a number of different methods.
Delta system
The Delta system is a statistical, mathematical process which makes your lotto pick based on the average distance between winning numbers. For example, 3 and 5 are close together, so the chances of both being drawn are smaller. To show you how the Delta system works, we’ll walk you through an example.
- Choose a low number (under 5), e.g. 2.
- Select two more numbers between 1 and 8, e.g. 3, and 6. Our numbers are now 2, 3, and 6.
- Choose another number which is above or below 8, say 9. This gives us 2, 3, 6, and 9.
- Then pick two numbers which fall between 8-15, e.g. 10, 13. Our selected numbers are: 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13.
- Add the numbers you have selected together, but make sure that the total is not higher than the largest number allowed in your lotto. If this is the case, go back a few steps and make alternative, lower picks. For our example numbers, this gives a total of 43.
- Give your numbers a shuffle. In our example, they became 10, 3, 6, 2, 13, 9. These will be your delta numbers.
- The first number chosen here becomes your first lotto number, e.g. 10.
- To make your second lotto number, add together the first two delta numbers, e.g. 10 + 3=13.
- To make your third lotto pick: Add your second lotto number to your third delta number, e.g. 13 + 6 =19.
- To make your fourth number: Add the third lotto number to the fourth delta number (19+2=21).
- To make the fifth lotto number: Add the fourth lotto number to the fifth delta (21+13=34).
- To create the sixth lotto number: Add the fifth lotto number to the sixth delta (34+9=43).
This produces the lotto numbers: 10, 13, 19, 21, 34, 43.
If the thought of doing all of those sums leaves you cold, though, then there are other strategies which rely on the laws of probability to help you choose lotto winning numbers.
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Hot, cold, and overdue numbers
Another strategy used by some players to choose lotto winning numbers is to analyze how often certain numbers have been drawn. Those that are frequently picked are called hot numbers, whereas ones that don’t appear very often are termed cold numbers. This analysis is done over a period of lotto draws, usually at least the most recent 50, to make sure that it provides a well-balanced record.
Players may choose to pick hot numbers, as they have a higher probability of being drawn, or cold numbers, as probability dictates that these should be drawn soon in a balanced system. Players may also decide to make a mixture of hot and cold numbers.
Odds and Evens
Another variation of this is to choose a mixture of odd and even numbers. According to statistics, it is unlikely that winning lottery numbers will be entirely odd or entirely even. It’s therefore a good strategy to make a pick that includes the same number of odd and even numbers.
The Wheeling system
The lottery wheeling system is another method used by some players to try and score big wins. The aim of the system is to create combinations of numbers across multiplier tickets to guarantee that at least one of them will be a winner.
To explain in more depth, let’s look at an example. In this scenario, the numbers you want to include are 13, 14, 39, and 41, in a lottery which requires you to match six out of 69 numbers to score the top win. To cover this, a lottery wheel system would require you to purchase tickets with the following number combinations:
- 1, 2, 4, 13, 39, 41
- 1, 3, 4, 13, 39, 41
- 1, 4, 5, 13, 39, 41
- 1, 4, 6, 13, 39, 41 and so on!
As you’ve guessed, this would mean that you would have to purchase hundreds of lottery tickets, which is not practical for most of us. However, this method of picking lotto numbers is especially popular for lottery syndicates or pools, as it means that the cost of buying many tickets is spread among more people.
To find out more about all of these systems to help you choose the best lotto numbers, you can read all of our
latest guides
on gambling.
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Most common lottery numbers drawn 2023
The below table shows the most common lottery numbers drawn together in the Powerball lotto since it changed to its current format in 2015.
The below table shows the most common lottery numbers drawn together in the Powerball lotto since it changed to its current format in 2015.
Most common pairs drawn together in the Powerball
| Winning Powerball lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 9/23 |
34 |
| 15/27 |
34 |
| 20/42 |
34 |
| 32/41 |
34 |
| 15/26 |
33 |
| 15/43 |
33 |
| 5/22 |
32 |
| 13/19 |
32 |
| 22/32 |
32 |
| 23/42 |
32 |
| 10/45 |
31 |
| 13/27 |
31 |
| 14/22 |
31 |
| 15/16 |
31 |
| 17/45 |
31 |
Most common triplets drawn together in the Powerball
| Winning Powerball lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 10/18/45 |
8 |
| 15/18/26 |
7 |
| 1/5/21 |
6 |
| 1/19/37 |
6 |
| 1/25/29 |
6 |
| 2/13/35 |
6 |
| 2/24/28 |
6 |
| 3/15/27 |
6 |
| 3/16/34 |
6 |
| 4/12/38 |
6 |
| 5/10/24 |
6 |
| 5/22/36 |
6 |
| 6/9/22 |
6 |
| 6/43/48 |
6 |
| 7/17/29 |
6 |
Most common quadruplets drawn together in the Powerball
| Winning Powerball lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 2/9/19/28 |
3 |
| 7/20/26/27 |
3 |
| 1/3/13/15 |
2 |
| 1/4/16/38 |
2 |
| 1/6/10/20 |
2 |
| 1/7/36/49 |
2 |
| 1/11/23/26 |
2 |
| 1/11/37/40 |
2 |
| 1/13/16/43 |
2 |
| 1/13/27/41 |
2 |
| 1/14/26/34 |
2 |
| 1/15/35/41 |
2 |
| 1/16/37/41 |
2 |
| 1/19/35/37 |
2 |
Most common pairs drawn together in the Mega Millions
The below tables show the most common numbers drawn in the Mega Millions lotto. This includes lists of the most winning lottery numbers by pairs, triplets, and quadruplets.
| Winning Mega Millions lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 1/22 |
28 |
| 29/32 |
28 |
| 14/47 |
25 |
| 16/362 |
25 |
| 26/39 |
25 |
| 2/5 |
24 |
| 4/38 |
24 |
| 5/26 |
24 |
| 10/26 |
24 |
| 10/38 |
24 |
| 12/22 |
24 |
| 19/24 |
24 |
| 2/26 |
23 |
| 14/50 |
23 |
| 16/39 |
23 |
Most common triplets drawn together in the Mega Millions
| Winning Mega Millions lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 6/10/26 |
7 |
| 6/26/39 |
6 |
| 2/4/36 |
5 |
| 2/5/40 |
5 |
| 2/7/18 |
5 |
| 2/10/26 |
5 |
| 2/26/39 |
5 |
| 2/44/51 |
5 |
| 3/42/46 |
5 |
| 4/20/29 |
5 |
| 4/27/38 |
5 |
| 5/14/47 |
5 |
| 6/13/46 |
5 |
| 7/16/36 |
5 |
| 9/17/34 |
5 |
Most common quadruplets drawn together in the Mega Millions
| Winning Mega Millions lotto numbers |
Number of times drawn |
| 2/44/46/51 |
3 |
| 1/2/12/37 |
2 |
| 1/3/37/42 |
2 |
| 1/7/16/36 |
2 |
| 1/8/9/22 |
2 |
| 1/12/19/20 |
2 |
| 1/15/32/45 |
2 |
| 1/22/33/43 |
2 |
| 1/23/25/39 |
2 |
| 1/27/28/35 |
2 |
| 1/28/38/47 |
2 |
| 2/4/13/17 |
2 |
| 2/6/10/26 |
2 |
| 2/6/26/39 |
2 |
Conclusion – Finding the right lotto strategy for you
Lotteries have always been a very popular form of entertainment, and why not? It’s a fun way to support good causes and can lead to some big rewards. While some players prefer to keep things fresh by changing up their numbers every week, a strategy can be a good way to help you make picking easy. There’s also a body of evidence to support the idea that using a strategy can give you an edge when it comes to scooping a win. Follow our guide and make choosing your lotto winning numbers a breeze.
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Winning Lotto Numbers FAQs
❓What are the most common winning lottery numbers?
In our guide to the most winning lottery numbers, we’ve uncovered the most common lottery numbers drawn together, including the most frequently occurring pairs, triplets, and quadruplets of winning digits. Give it a read to discover the most recent list of 2023 lottery numbers. Bear in mind that these numbers change over time, so
for all the latest sports news today, check back with The Grueling Truth regularly.
🍀 What are the luckiest lotto numbers?
By the luckiest lotto winning numbers, we mean the numbers that have been picked most often in recent games. In this guide, we’ve shown you all of the most common 2023 lottery numbers, and outlined some of the most popular numbers you should avoid if you don’t want to share a prize with lots of other people.
