Pumpkin Picking, Apple Picking, Lottery Number Picking

Autumn is in the air — and on the calendar — and with it comes dreams of apple picking, pumpkin picking, and wondering why you’re picking apples and pumpkins when there’s a supermarket three miles up the road selling them.

Well, perhaps if you take down either Mega Millions or Powerball this weekend, you can skip the picking and just hire someone to do it for you so you can watch some football in peace.

Maybe the above is just a “me” thing, but know this: If you win both lotteries this weekend — dare to dream — and take the cash option for both, thus pocketing $314.2 million, you can buy … oh, about 42 million average-sized carving pumpkins. One for every man, woman, and child in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina. 

Happy Halloween.

But first, of course, you need to win.

Let’s start with Friday night, when Mega Millions will be drawn. The jackpot is up to an estimated $321 million prize after nobody took home the big pumpkin Tuesday night.

Numbers there were 10, 15, 16, 27, 64, and a gold Mega ball of 23. No one hit all five white balls, hence no new millionaires were crowned.

Lottery Geeks estimates 4.9 million tickets were sold for that drawing.

Powerball rises

Meanwhile, Powerball’s top prize is up to a healthy $440 million for Saturday’s drawing after nobody won Wednesday night. Those numbers were 4, 6, 23, 33, 44, and a red Powerball of 13.

One ticket-buyer in Texas hit all five white balls and took home $1 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates 14.5 million tickets were sold for that drawing.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5 and Powerball tickets cost $2. Most states offer the multiplier option for Powerball, which impacts any prize won except the jackpot, for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico and the U.K., customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.82 billion, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
3. $1.79 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
4. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
5. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
6. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
7. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
8. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
10. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon

Here is the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $834.9 million, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
5. $820.6 million, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
6. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
7. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
9. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
10. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine