Most common Powerball drawn: 20

We pretended like we won the $300 million Powerball jackpot – on paper. And it proved to be a difficult lot to spend.

After taking the lump sum, the jackpot is estimated at $184 million. With that kind of cash we could buy of the top 50 homes listed for sale in Tampa’s exclusive Davis Islands and still have about $120 million leftover.

All 50. And still have $120 million.

So, we added in 50 Mercedes Benz S-class sedans (one per home), and we’re still left with $115 million – even with the S-class.

Whew!

As difficult as the windfall might be to blow, it’s even more impossible to win. The odds are 1 in 292,201,338.00, according to the Multistate Lottery Association.

If you're willing to take your chances, there are some numbers you'll want to know.

Statistically speaking, some numbers are drawn more often than others. 

LottoNumbers.com has analyzed Powerball drawing for years and it has found that the numbers that pop up the most are (in order of most appearances):

  • 26
  • 41
  • 22
  • 16
  • 42

The Powerball that has had been picked more often than any other is 20, according to the site.

SEE THE ANALYSIS: http://www.lottonumbers.com/most-common-powerball-numbers.asp

But that's no predictor of which numbers will be drawn next. In fact, we cross-referenced the winningest numbers  with the database of winning Powerball draws.

The numbers that have appeared the most have never appeared all together to score the big prize.

Zero jackpots since 1997.

Perhaps they’re overdue? Perhaps we are kidding ourselves.

The dream of $184 million sure bends the mind. The irony is, that kind of wealth requires some keen thinking.

Many wealth experts say the best place to park large, unexpected sums of money is someplace boring: government bonds.

These investments, although unexciting, provide steady returns with minimal risk. Financial planners who counsel young athletes, many of whom rapidly rise from rags to riches, offer plain-Jane investment advice to both pro athletes and lottery winners.