PowerBall Prediction Lab

Explore how PowerBall numbers have been drawn in recent South African draws, and see for yourself how much a ranking depends on the settings you choose.

Based on the last 100 draws in our archive (we use up to 100), from 21 Nov 2025 to 6 Nov 2026. The lab uses only these latest draws. Older results may be on the results page.

Latest draw in our archive: 6 Nov 2026

How PowerBall works

PowerBall has two parts. You choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 50, and a separate PowerBall number from 1 to 20. The two parts are drawn separately, so the main numbers and the PowerBall number don’t influence each other. This lab looks at the main numbers only.

Illustrative ranking (not a tip)

Try the weight lab

Each slider decides how much one measure counts towards a number’s score. Move them and the highest-scoring numbers re-rank straight away. Notice how different settings give different lists. That is the whole point: the ranking reflects your choices, not anything hidden in the draws.

What the three measures mean

All three are descriptions of past draws in our sample. None of them is evidence about the next draw.

A number’s score is its three measures multiplied by your weights and added together. The lab then shows the 5 numbers with the highest scores. It only scores the main numbers. The separate PowerBall number is not part of this lab.

Is the spread of counts unusual?

If every draw were purely random, each number would be expected to appear about 10.0 times in 100 draws, give or take about 3.0. In our sample the most-drawn number appeared 16 times and the least-drawn 5 times. 50 of 50 numbers sit inside that normal range. For purely random draws we would typically expect roughly 19 in 20 numbers to land inside it. This is a rough guide, not a formal statistical test.

In plain terms: in any sample of this size, some numbers will look busier and others quieter. That is what randomness looks like. It isn’t a pattern you can use.

Odd/even and high/low splits

Every draw can be described by how many of its numbers are odd or even, and how many are low (1 to 25) or high (26 to 50). Here is how the draws in our sample divide up.

Mixed splits are more common than extreme ones simply because there are more ways to make them. That says nothing about which combination will be drawn.

Lab backtest: how would it have done on the last 5 draws?

A fair question is how the lab’s starting settings would have fared. For each recent draw below, we re-ran the lab using only the draws that came before it and compared its top 5 numbers with what was actually drawn. A tick marks a number the lab chose that was also drawn.

These are not predictions we published at the time. They were worked out afterwards, with the same method as the lab above, so you can judge how little it adds.

Over the last 50 draws we could test this way, the lab’s selection matched an average of 0.38 numbers per draw. Choosing 5 numbers completely at random from 50 would match about 0.50 per draw on average (a rough benchmark, not a statistical test). If the two are close, that is what you would expect from a method with no real predictive power. A small difference either way is ordinary luck.

PowerBall number frequency: how often each number was drawn

Past 100 draws

The most recent draws in our archive, 10 to a page. Always check the official result for anything that matters.

PowerBall results and ticket checker All prediction labs

Common questions

Does this predict the next PowerBall draw?

No. The lab ranks numbers using past draws, and past draws don’t influence future ones. It’s a way to look at the data, not a forecast.

Why include a “gap since last drawn” setting at all?

Many players wonder whether a number that has been missing for a while is “due”. The setting lets you see what that idea looks like in the data. A long gap carries no information about the next draw, so a high gap score is not a reason to expect a number.

Do the sliders improve my chances?

No. Every valid combination has exactly the same chance each time, however the lab ranks the numbers.

Why do different settings give different lists?

Because the list depends entirely on how much weight you give each measure. That is why none of the lists should be treated as advice.

Were the backtest selections real predictions?

No. They were worked out afterwards using only the draws that came before each one, so you can see how the lab’s method behaves. We did not publish them in advance, and how they scored says nothing about future draws.

Where can I find older results?

The PowerBall results page keeps previous draws, and you can use the ticket checker there to compare your numbers with a past draw.

Keep exploring

• PowerBall results and history
• All prediction labs
• PowerBall Xtra Prediction Lab
• How to play Lotto in South Africa
• How to claim a lottery prize