Powerball jackpot reaches $856 million as Saturday draw approaches
An $856 million Powerball prize will be contested Saturday, the eighth-largest in the game's history, with the most frequently drawn numbers identified as 61 for white balls and 4 for the red Powerball.
An $856 million Powerball jackpot will be up for grabs in Saturday night's drawing, $70 million higher than the prize offered on Wednesday. The prize is the largest since the $1.8 billion jackpot won in Arkansas on Christmas Eve last year. Winners who match all six numbers can choose a lump-sum cash option of $370.7 million or an annuity paid over 30 installments. The odds of hitting the jackpot remain 1 in 292,201,338.
Historical draw data show that the white ball number drawn most often is 61, which has appeared 124 times as of Aug. 7, followed closely by 21 with 123 appearances. For the red Powerball, the number 4 leads with 66 selections, including the most recent draw on Aug. 3.
Saturday's draw marks the 41st consecutive drawing since the jackpot began on May 4, placing it as the eighth-largest jackpot in Powerball history. This year, seven jackpots have been claimed, the latest on May 2 by tickets in Florida and Texas. Powerball offers eight prize tiers, with overall odds of winning any prize at 1 in 24.9. Drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT.