How to Calculate Winning Lottery Numbers from Previous Lottery Results

Many people use a scientific approach to picking Mega Millions and Powerball lottery numbers. Tracking the winning lottery numbers from previous drawings can inform your choices for the current drawing. The basic idea is that if certain numbers occur more frequently than others in the short term, then it may be a good idea to pick these numbers again. By knowing past Powerball and Mega Millions results, you can identify trends that will help you pick more winning numbers in the future.

Go to the official websites of Powerball or Mega Millions, and view the full list of winning numbers from previous drawings. Limit your attention to numbers that have been drawn in the past six months.

Create a spreadsheet to track the frequency of numbers that appear on the sixth ball, the "Mega Ball" or the "Power Ball." You will notice that certain numbers are drawn more frequently than others in previous lotteries.

Create a spreadsheet for the five white balls as well. You can record several pieces of data about the winning sets:

   individual numbers
   high and low numbers
   the spread
   frequencies of odds and evens
   frequency of consecutive numbers

Many so-called "lottery cheat systems" are based on frequencies of certain patterns. With a detailed summary of lottery results, you will have more confidence when picking numbers.

This article is for entertainment purposes only. Mathematically, every combination of lottery ticket numbers has an equal chance of winning. No method for picking lottery numbers has guaranteed results.

© Had2Know 2010