(CNN) — The Mega Millions jackpot has inched just short of$1 billion, offering an estimated $977 million top prize in Friday night’s drawing.
Friday’s winning numbers are 3, 8, 31, 35, 44 and the Mega Ball is 16.
Friday’s jackpot would be the lottery’s sixth largest. Mega Millions’ five largest jackpots all exceeded $1 billion, the lottery said.
The drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET Friday. The jackpot has a lump-sum option of an estimated $413.5 million.
The jackpot has been growing since December 8, when two tickets in California claimed a $394 million prize.
Though 29 consecutive drawings have passed with no grand prize winner, lower-tier prizes have been won in that span, including 37 prizes of $1 million or more, according to Mega Millions.
The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, but the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, according to Mega Millions.
