Both games draw five white balls and one bonus ball, and both pay on nine combinations of matches. The difference is in the prize amounts: Powerball pays fixed amounts that you can raise with an optional add-on, while every Mega Millions ticket comes with a random multiplier already built in.
How many numbers do you need to win Powerball?
One, if it's the red Powerball. Without the Powerball you need three of the five white balls. Powerball draws its white balls from 1 to 69 and the red ball from 1 to 26, and a play costs $2. These are the prizes and odds from the official Powerball prize chart:
| You match | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white + Powerball | Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 white | $1,000,000 | 1 in 11,688,054 |
| 4 white + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129 |
| 4 white | $100 | 1 in 36,525 |
| 3 white + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494 |
| 3 white | $7 | 1 in 580 |
| 2 white + Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701 |
| 1 white + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 92 |
| Powerball only | $4 | 1 in 38 |
Powerball puts the overall odds of winning any prize at 1 in 24.87. If you added Power Play for $1 more, non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by the Power Play number drawn that night: 2, 3, 4 or 5, or 10 when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less. The $1 million prize for five white balls becomes $2 million with Power Play, whatever multiplier is drawn. Our Power Play guide has the full multiplied chart.
What do 2 or 3 numbers win on Powerball?
Two white balls on their own win nothing; it's the most common near miss in the game. Two white balls plus the Powerball pay $7. Three white balls pay $7 without the Powerball and $100 with it. And the Powerball alone pays $4, twice the price of the ticket.
How many numbers do you need to win Mega Millions?
Again, one if it's the gold Mega Ball, or three white balls without it. Mega Millions draws white balls from 1 to 70 and the Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Since April 2025 a play costs $5 and every ticket carries a multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X, assigned at random when you buy it and applied to every prize except the jackpot. There's no separate add-on. Our look at the 2025 Mega Millions changes covers what else changed.
Here's the prize range from the lowest (2X) to the highest (10X) multiplier, from the official Mega Millions rules:
| You match | Prize (2X to 10X) | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white + Mega Ball | Jackpot | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| 5 white | $2 million to $10 million | 1 in 12,629,232 |
| 4 white + Mega Ball | $20,000 to $100,000 | 1 in 893,761 |
| 4 white | $1,000 to $5,000 | 1 in 38,859 |
| 3 white + Mega Ball | $400 to $2,000 | 1 in 13,965 |
| 3 white | $20 to $100 | 1 in 607 |
| 2 white + Mega Ball | $20 to $100 | 1 in 665 |
| 1 white + Mega Ball | $14 to $70 | 1 in 86 |
| Mega Ball only | $10 to $50 | 1 in 35 |
Most tickets get the lowest multiplier. Mega Millions gives the odds as about 1 in 2.13 for 2X and 1 in 32 for 10X. Adding up the nine tiers, the chance that a ticket wins something comes to roughly 1 in 23. The smallest possible prize is $10.
What do 2 numbers win on Mega Millions?
Only something if one of them is the Mega Ball. Two white balls plus the Mega Ball pay $20 to $100 depending on your multiplier. Two white balls alone pay nothing, just as on Powerball.
For a tier-by-tier comparison of the two games, see Powerball vs Mega Millions odds.
Do state games pay for fewer numbers?
Many do. Pick 3 and Pick 4 games pay when your digits match in exact order or, on some bet types, in any order. Many Cash 5-style games pay for matching two of five numbers. The prizes are smaller and the odds much shorter. Each state sets its own prize chart, so check the game's page with your state lottery. Our beginner's guide to US lottery games walks through the main types.
You can check your numbers against the latest Powerball and Mega Millions drawings on Lottery Atlas. Before you throw a ticket away, confirm it with your state lottery, which has the final say on whether it won.
Winning numbers questions
How many numbers do you need to win Powerball?
You win with the red Powerball alone ($4) or with three or more white balls even without it. Two white balls without the Powerball pay nothing. The jackpot needs all five white balls plus the Powerball.
What do you win with 3 numbers on Powerball?
Three white balls pay $7, and three white balls plus the Powerball pay $100. If you bought Power Play, those amounts are multiplied by that drawing's Power Play number.
Do you win anything with just the Mega Ball?
Yes. Matching only the gold Mega Ball pays $10 to $50, depending on the multiplier printed on your ticket.
Do 2 numbers win anything on Mega Millions?
Only if one of them is the Mega Ball. Two white balls plus the Mega Ball pay $20 to $100; two white balls alone pay nothing.
What are the odds of winning any Powerball prize?
Powerball gives the overall odds as 1 in 24.87 per play. The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338.
Sources: Powerball official prize chart; Mega Millions official How to Play page.
