Nobody matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s Mega Millions draw, and the jackpot has now climbed to an estimated $555 million for Friday’s draw. Tuesday’s winning numbers were 2, 18, 25, 30 and 65, with Mega Ball 22.
The cash value of Friday’s prize is estimated at $235.2 million, according to lottery officials. The jackpot has been rolling since the last win, and Friday’s draw at 11pm ET is now one of the biggest of the year.
The odds stay brutal
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290,472,336, and the odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 23. A ticket costs $5 a play. Despite those odds, sales surge every time the jackpot passes half a billion dollars, and Friday is expected to be no different.
Tuesday’s draw still produced winners at lower tiers, with players across the country matching five numbers or four numbers plus the Mega Ball for five- and six-figure prizes. The full prize breakdown is published by each state lottery after the draw.
Friday is the big night
If Friday’s draw also produces no jackpot winner, the prize will roll again and could approach $600 million by the following Tuesday. The last Mega Millions jackpot of this scale drew huge queues at retailers in the final hours before the draw.
Lottery officials always stress the same point: the draw is random, no number is due, and the only way to win is to hold a ticket. For players planning to join in on Friday, the advice is to buy early and keep the ticket somewhere safe.
Related reading: Mega Millions $529 Million Tuesday Draw and Powerball Numbers November 9: No Jackpot Winner
