"How many numbers do you need to win anything?" It's the first question everyone asks while checking a ticket — and the answer surprises most players: on Powerball you can win with zero white balls, as long as you hit the red one. Here's every prize tier, what two or three matched numbers are actually worth, and the difference between the two big games.
The short answer
- Powerball: you win something with just the red Powerball alone ($4), or with 3+ white balls even without the Powerball. Two white balls with no Powerball wins nothing.
- Mega Millions: you win something with just the gold Mega Ball alone — and since the 2025 revamp, every winning ticket pays at least $10.
Powerball prizes: all nine tiers
Powerball draws 5 white balls (1–69) and 1 red Powerball (1–26). A $2 ticket wins on nine combinations:
| Match | Prize | Odds (about) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are about 1 in 24.9. The optional Power Play add-on multiplies non-jackpot prizes (the $1 million second prize becomes $2 million with any Power Play).
So what do 2 or 3 numbers get you on Powerball?
- 2 white balls, no Powerball: nothing. This is the most common near-miss in the game.
- 2 white balls + the Powerball: $7.
- 3 white balls, no Powerball: $7.
- 3 white balls + the Powerball: $100.
- Just the Powerball: $4 — double your ticket back.
Mega Millions: the multiplier changes everything
Mega Millions draws 5 white balls (1–70) and 1 gold Mega Ball (1–24). Since the game's April 2025 overhaul, tickets cost $5 and every ticket carries a built-in multiplier of 2× to 10× — there's no separate add-on to buy. That means lower-tier prizes vary with the multiplier printed on your ticket, but the floor is fixed: every winning ticket pays at least $10, five times the old game's $2 minimum.
The structure mirrors Powerball's nine tiers: jackpot for 5 + Mega Ball; matching all 5 white balls without the Mega Ball pays $1 million before the multiplier (so up to $10 million with the 10×); 4 white + Mega Ball starts at $10,000; and the small tiers — matching just the Mega Ball, or 1–2 white balls with it — pay from $10 up, depending on your multiplier. The exact payout for your ticket's tier and multiplier is shown on each draw's results page.
Jackpot odds are about 1 in 290 million, essentially the same territory as Powerball — we compare the two games' odds tier by tier in Powerball vs Mega Millions.
State games: fewer numbers, better odds
Daily games like Pick 3 and Pick 4 pay on exact or partial matches of only 3–4 digits, and Cash 5-style games pay from 2 matches up. The prizes are smaller but the odds are dramatically shorter — that trade-off is the core of how the US lottery menu works.
Bottom line
On Powerball, three matched white balls — or the red ball alone — puts money in your pocket, and two white balls without the red one pays nothing. On Mega Millions, the gold ball alone is worth at least $10. Check your numbers against tonight's draw on our homepage — every result page lists the full prize-tier breakdown for that drawing, including how many winners hit each tier.
Prize structures are set by the lotteries and can change. Always verify against your state lottery before discarding a ticket. Play responsibly — 1-800-GAMBLER.