Mega Millions, Powerball Jackpots Over $350 Million

Lottery players are hoping to score some big bucks this weekend, with two high-stakes drawings. First up is the $393 million Mega Millions jackpot on Friday, the fifth-highest potential winnings in the game's history. On Saturday night, Powerball players are hoping to score the game's $356 million jackpot.

The jackpots have been building for months — the two games have gone a combined 34 straight drawings without a jackpot winner. An Indiana Powerball player won the last big jackpot in February at $435 million, and the biggest Mega Millions win in recent history was a $536 million winner in July 2016.

In January, there were three winners for a record-breaking $1.6 billion Powerball payout.

Your odds of winning Mega Millions are slightly better than Powerball, at one in 259 million compared with one in 292 million. Powerball tickets are $2 a pop, and Mega Millions sell for $1.

If you do win, you probably won't get the full payout, since the prize could be split among more than one jackpot winner. Winners can (and typically do) choose to take a smaller one-time lump-sum payment — $246 million before taxes for Friday's Mega Millions drawing or $224 million in the case of Saturday's Powerball — versus annuity payments spread out over nearly three decades.

• Two $50,000 Powerball Tickets Sold in Illinois; $435 Million Jackpot Ticket Sold in Indiana
• Powerball Winning Numbers For Aug. 12: $356 Million Jackpot
• Unclaimed $7 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In Wheaton

Both games are played in 44 states, excluding Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah. The Mega Millions drawing is at 10 p.m. Central on Friday; Powerball is at 10 p.m. Saturday.

Graphic courtesy of NJ Lottery