Mega Millions Players Await Long-Absent 10 Ball After Powerball Hit

After 249 days without appearing, the number 10 Powerball finally rolled out during the October 11 drawing, producing a record $1.865 billion jackpot winner in California. Now lottery players are wondering if the long-absent Mega Millions 10 ball could be next to hit.

The Powerball drawing garnered headlines for minting the largest-ever U.S. lottery prize, with winning tickets sold in California and seven other states. The coveted 10 ball had not emerged in the last 108 Powerball drawings until its long-awaited return.

But the Mega Millions game has an even more conspicuous shutout ongoing. The yellow 10 ball has not appeared in the last 113 consecutive Mega Millions drawings, dating back more than a year. While every number should theoretically surface every 25 to 26 drawings, the Mega Millions 10 ball has defied those odds.

With a $91 million jackpot up for grabs, players are tracking if the shutout streak will finally end during the next Mega Millions drawing on October 14. Though the lottery relies wholly on chance, some see mystique in the frequent absence of the 10 ball.

“It’s got to be time for Mega Millions 10 – unless it’s not,” wrote Jim Sergent in USA Today while analyzing the phenomenon.

Beyond sporting the number considered synonymous with perfection, Sergent noted metaphorical attributes that add to 10’s allure. It represents bowling pins, the Bill of Rights, and the metric system, among other dignified emblems.

Yet despite 10’s distinguished profile, the vagaries of randomized lottery drawings cannot be dismissed. Other balls have also gone absent for extended periods in recent history, though not to the extent of the Mega Millions 10.

The Powerball 17 ball, for instance, was chosen only twice over 208 drawings before appearing on April 1. Mega Millions has seen similar oddities, like the 12 ball missing for most of 2021 before falling four times in the final five months.

So the Mega Millions 10 may continue defying probabilities for some time. Still, it cannot dodge selection forever, and a jackpot-winning return would be poetic.

“Every Mega Ball or Powerball should roll out about every 25 or 26 drawings, respectively,” Sergent noted. “The 10s had both gone more than 100 games, and the Mega Millions is still going at 113.”

Besides hoping for a headline-grabbing 10 ball, players can weigh more strategic approaches as the Mega Millions jackpot grows. The current $91 million prize has steadily accumulated after no ticket matched all six numbers in the last seven drawings.

Though astronomical jackpots attract attention, experts say smaller prizes still offer solid statistical value. A player’s overall odds of any prize stay constant regardless of the jackpot size. So tickets can be lucrative investments even when the top prize falls below nine figures.

“Don’t play just when the jackpots are incredibly high,” said UCLA math professor Skip Garibaldi in a lottery strategy article. “Smaller jackpots give you better odds of sharing the prize if you do get lucky.”

You can buy Lottery tickets are available for purchase in petrol stations, grocery stores, and other retail establishments in states where lottery games are offered. Select airport terminals may also offer ticket sales.

Players can also order online via lottery courier services like Jackpocket, which provides digital lottery ticket services in numerous states. Jackpocket users can place ticket orders and view results through a phone app.

As the next Mega Millions drawing approaches, players may want to weigh strategy along with superstition. But the mystique surrounding the number 10’s remarkable absence persists.