The Powerball lottery is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States. Each Powerball drawing consists of 5 white balls numbered 1-69 and 1 red Powerball numbered 1-26. With so many drawings over the years, some numbers tend to get drawn more often than others. But which numbers should you play if you want to increase your odds of winning?
Most Common White Ball Numbers
The 5 white balls make up the first part of each Powerball drawing. When looking at historical Powerball results, these are the 5 white ball numbers that have been drawn the most:
- 61 – Drawn 284 times
- 32 – Drawn 281 times
- 63 – Drawn 280 times
- 21 – Drawn 279 times
- 69 – Drawn 276 times
Number 61 has been the most frequently occurring white ball number, having been drawn in 284 of the 1,544 Powerball drawings through October 25, 2022. Number 32 has appeared 281 times, while 63 has come up 280 times. Number 21 has been drawn 279 times and number 69 has appeared 276 times.
Most Common Red Powerball Number
In addition to the 5 white balls drawn, each Powerball drawing also selects 1 red Powerball numbered 1-26. Over the history of Powerball drawings, the Powerball number that has been selected most often is:
- 24 – Drawn 64 times
The number 24 has been the Powerball number 64 times out of the 1,544 drawings to date. That is far more than any other potential red Powerball number. Number 24 has come up 4% of the time, while the next most common Powerball numbers are 18 and 4, each having been selected 58 times.
Most Common Powerball Combinations
While individual numbers may come up more frequently in Powerball drawings, certain number combinations tend to hit more regularly as well. Here are some of the most commonly occurring white ball number combinations in Powerball history:
| Combination | Times Drawn |
|---|---|
| 61, 32, 63, 21, 69 | 10 |
| 32, 61, 63, 21, 69 | 8 |
| 61, 32, 63, 21, 19 | 7 |
| 32, 61, 63, 21, 19 | 7 |
| 61, 32, 63, 23, 69 | 6 |
As you can see, the combination featuring the five most commonly drawn white balls – 61, 32, 63, 21, and 69 – has been drawn 10 times. Other mixes involving four of those five numbers along with the fifth most popular white ball, number 19, have occurred 7 times each. Powerball players who select these frequently appearing combinations could have a slight edge over those picking other sets of numbers.
Least Common White Ball Numbers
Just as some white balls are drawn more often, others hardly ever come up in Powerball results. These are the least common white ball numbers:
- 26 – Drawn 99 times
- 34 – Drawn 100 times
- 13 – Drawn 101 times
- 24 – Drawn 103 times
- 47 – Drawn 104 times
Number 26 has made the fewest appearances, having been selected only 99 times out of the 1,544 drawings to date. Numbers 34 and 13 have each come up 100 and 101 times, respectively. Numbers 24 and 47 round out the 5 least common white balls, showing up 103 and 104 times.
Least Common Red Powerball Numbers
On the other end of the spectrum, these red Powerball numbers have been selected the least overall:
- 26 – Drawn 20 times
- 15 – Drawn 23 times
- 21 – Drawn 24 times
- 13 – Drawn 25 times
- 9 – Drawn 28 times
Number 26 has rarely come up as the red Powerball, having only been chosen 20 times so far. Number 15 has appeared 23 times, while 21 and 13 have shown up 24 and 25 times. Rounding out the least common red Powerballs is number 9, which has occurred 28 times.
Least Common Powerball Combinations
Certain white ball combinations have also rarely been selected in Powerball drawings through the years. These number mixes are some of the least commonly occurring:
| Combination | Times Drawn |
|---|---|
| 26, 34, 13, 24, 47 | 0 |
| 34, 13, 24, 47, 26 | 0 |
| 13, 24, 47, 26, 34 | 0 |
| 24, 47, 26, 34, 13 | 0 |
| 47, 26, 34, 13, 24 | 0 |
As you can see, the 5 least commonly drawn white balls – 26, 34, 13, 24, and 47 – have never been selected together in the same Powerball drawing. In fact, any combination featuring 4 of those least popular numbers has never occurred either. So Powerball players may want to avoid number mixes containing several of those less frequently drawn balls.
Most Common Powerball Numbers By Position
Beyond just the raw frequency of numbers being chosen, it can also be helpful to look at the most common Powerball numbers by position – that is, which numbers tend to be selected in the 1st position, 2nd position, etc. Here are the most frequently drawn white balls by position:
| Position | Most Common Number | Times Drawn in that Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 61 | 281 |
| 2nd | 32 | 276 |
| 3rd | 63 | 265 |
| 4th | 21 | 262 |
| 5th | 69 | 242 |
Number 61 has been drawn the most often in the 1st position, occurring 281 times in that spot. The number 32 has come up 276 times in the 2nd position, while 63 has appeared 265 times in the 3rd spot. Number 21 has been selected 262 times in the 4th position, and 69 has made 242 appearances in the final 5th position.
Most Common Red Powerball Numbers By Position
We can also look at the most frequently drawn red Powerball numbers by position:
| Position | Most Common Number | Times Drawn in that Position |
|---|---|---|
| Red Powerball | 24 | 64 |
As we saw earlier, the number 24 has been the red Powerball 64 times, far more than any other potential selection. Since there is only one red Powerball drawn per game, 24 takes the top spot across every Powerball drawing.
Hot and Cold Powerball Numbers
Hot numbers are those that have been drawn the most over a recent period of drawings, while cold numbers have appeared infrequently. Let’s look at the hottest white balls and Powerballs over the last 20 draws:
Hottest White Ball Numbers
- 31 – Drawn 8 times
- 37 – Drawn 7 times
- 40 – Drawn 6 times
- 16 – Drawn 6 times
- 20 – Drawn 6 times
Number 31 has made the most appearances over the last 20 Powerball drawings with 8 selections. Numbers 37 and 40 have each come up 7 and 6 times, respectively. And the numbers 16 and 20 have also been chosen 6 times each recently.
Hottest Red Powerball Numbers
- 7 – Drawn 4 times
- 18 – Drawn 3 times
- 4 – Drawn 3 times
Over the most recent Powerball games, the red Powerball number 7 has been selected 4 times. Numbers 18 and 4 have each been picked 3 times.
Coldest White Ball Numbers
- 8 – Not drawn
- 11 – Drawn 1 time
- 27 – Drawn 1 time
- 47 – Drawn 1 time
- 57 – Drawn 1 time
Number 8 has not appeared at all over the last 20 drawings. Numbers 11, 27, 47, and 57 have each only been selected 1 time recently.
Coldest Red Powerball Numbers
- 1 – Not drawn
- 12 – Not drawn
- 13 – Not drawn
- 17 – Not drawn
- 20 – Not drawn
The red Powerball numbers 1, 12, 13, 17, and 20 have not been picked in any of the most recent 20 Powerball games.
Powerball Number Selection Strategies
When playing Powerball, how should you go about choosing numbers based on the frequency data provided? Here are some potential selection strategies:
Play the Most Common Numbers
One strategy is to simply play the Powerball numbers that have come up the most overall. This means selecting some combination of the top 5 most frequently drawn white balls (61, 32, 63, 21, 69) along with the most common red Powerball 24. This won’t guarantee a win, but could provide some advantage over quick pick or other number selections.
Avoid the Least Common Numbers
Another approach is to avoid the Powerball numbers that have hit the least. Don’t pick combinations that include the 5 least frequent white balls (26, 34, 13, 24, 47) or the bottom red Powerballs (26, 15, 21, 13, 9). This strategy tries to steer clear of numbers that rarely get drawn.
Leverage Hot and Cold Trends
You could also use recent hot and cold number trends to influence your number picks. Include some of the hottest numbers over the last 20 drawings, like 31, 37, and 7. And avoid the coldest numbers like 8 or 1 that haven’t hit over that recent stretch.
Mix It Up
Or combine multiple strategies – play some frequent overall numbers along with some recent hot numbers. You might pick the common white balls 61, 32, and 21, then add the hot numbers 31 and 37, and use the hot Powerball 7. Mixing up these tactics may give you an advantage.
Optimize Your Odds
While picking favorable Powerball numbers can improve your chances, the odds are still stacked heavily against you. Some ways to enhance your odds include:
- Buy multiple tickets – more number combinations gives more chances to win
- Join an office pool to buy more tickets
- Find a lottery pool or syndicate to join
- Methodically check your numbers for any wins
- Consistently play – can’t win if you don’t play!
Though the jackpot odds are 1 in 292 million, smaller prize levels have chances ranging from 1 in 11 million to 1 in 1 million. So optimize your Powerball number picks, buy more possible combinations, and consistently play the game to potentially win a prize.
Conclusion
In the end, the Powerball lottery comes down to random chance. But examining the frequency of past numbers drawn, hot and cold trends, and position data can help you make educated selections. Numbers like 61, 32, 63, 21, and 69 have historically hit most often. Recent hot numbers include 31, 37, and 7. And you may want to avoid infrequent balls like 26 or cold numbers like 1.
Strategically choose your Powerball numbers using a mix of the most common, hottest, and positional analysis. Buy more tickets to increase your odds. And consistently play the game to have a chance at winning a massive jackpot or secondary prize.
Over the years, certain number combinations have produced winners more than others. Leverage that data to potentially gain an advantage when you fill out your Powerball ticket. Careful number selection combined with persistently playing could help you hit a life-changing score!
