Mega Millions, Powerball Jackpots Are Massive

No one won the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots in the most recent drawings for the two lotteries, and the combined total is now at nearly $2 billion. The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $1.1 billion and the Powerball to $800 million, NBC News reports. If someone matches all six numbers in the Monday Powerball drawing, the prize will be the sixth-largest in the game's history (the largest-ever jackpot: $2.04 billion). The Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday night, and if there's a winner, it will be the fifth-largest jackpot in that game's history (largest-ever jackpot: $1.602 billion).

The big numbers, of course, convinced a lot of people to go out and buy lottery tickets, but KTLA keeps it real with these odds: You have a one in 292.2 million chance of winning the Powerball jackpot, and a one in 302.6 million chance of winning Mega Millions. To further curtail your dreams, a reminder that if you take the lump sum payment option instead of the annuity option, the Powerball jackpot would be around $384.8 million and the Mega Millions $525.8 million—and that's before taxes. If you do happen to beat the odds and win one of the two, USA Today offers tips for what to do next. (More lottery stories.)