Cash 5 climbs to $162,000 💰 — Wednesday’s North Carolina numbers kept the jackpot alive

• ⚡ North Carolina Lottery Daily Quick Report & Payout Info
• Winning Numbers: NC Cash 5 drew 25-29-30-31-38; Double Play drew 3-15-16-21-41.
• Jackpot Status: Bad news for players, but great news for the jackpot! The Cash 5 top prize is sitting at $162,000 and appears to have rolled over.
• Drawing Time: Drawings are held at 10:59 PM ET (nightly schedule varies by game).
• Payout Chart: Scroll to the prize-tier and pattern breakdown below to understand how hits typically cash out.
• TrendPick AI Insight: Tonight skewed mid-to-high with a tight cluster and a spicy streak of consecutive numbers.

The North Carolina Lottery Daily results for Wednesday, January 28, 2026 were led by Cash 5 with winning numbers 25-29-30-31-38, plus a Double Play draw of 3-15-16-21-41. The Cash 5 advertised jackpot was $162,000, and it appears to have rolled over rather than being hit at the top prize tier.

North Carolina Lottery Daily lottery results – Wednesday, January 28, 2026

North Carolina Cash 5 results (Main Draw + Double Play)

Here’s the official-style visual for the main draw, exactly as provided—because one digit off is the difference between “almost” and “claim center,” right? 💰

Cash 5 (Main Draw):
2529303138

Cash 5 Double Play:
315162141

North Carolina Cash 5 pattern watch – Jan 28, 2026

Let’s talk about what this draw felt like. Cash 5 landed in a very specific neighborhood: the mid-to-high 20s and 30s. If you were hoping for a low-number parade, tonight wasn’t your night. If you like compact clusters, though? This one was a clean example.

Cluster behavior, streaks, and number distribution

The **TrendPick AI Engine** detected a draw that was unusually “packed,” meaning many numbers lived close together. Four of the five balls came from 25–31 (25, 29, 30, 31), and only one number (38) stepped out as a mild spacer. That’s why the range clocked in at just 13—tight for a five-ball game.

Consecutive numbers: The headline pattern is the back-to-back hit: 29-30-31. When you see a three-number run, players tend to assume it’s “unlikely,” but lottery math doesn’t care about vibes. The odds of that specific trio are the same as any other trio—you just notice it more.

Low vs. high split: On a typical 1–43 style Cash 5 board, this draw leaned higher. Everything except 25 is above the midline of many players’ “comfort zones,” which can matter psychologically (people love birthdays) but doesn’t change probability. Still, it’s useful for strategy journaling: if your picks always live under 31, you would’ve missed four of five tonight.

Odd/even: A 3/2 split (three odd, two even) is the most “normal-looking” mix you can ask for. No heavy tilt, no weird all-even freeze. That’s why the assessment lands in the standard bucket.

Double Play check: similar energy, different address

Double Play ran a different script: 3-15-16-21-41. It sprinkled across the board with a low anchor (3), a mid cluster (15-16-21), and a high finisher (41). Notice the mini-streak there too: 15-16. When both the main draw and Double Play show consecutive pairs/triples on the same night, it can feel like the lottery is “winking.” It’s not—but it’s a fun flag to log if you track patterns.

Jackpot and payout talk 💰 — Cash 5 at $162,000

Bad news for would-be instant winners, but great news for the prize pool: Cash 5 is posted at $162,000 tonight and appears to have rolled over. That means no top-tier lucky ticket (or no single top-tier winner) cleared the whole thing.

Remember: payouts vary by prize tier. Even when the jackpot rolls, there can still be a pile of winners in lower tiers—those are the “keep playing” checks that don’t make headlines but absolutely get cashed. If you matched enough balls to win, follow the standard routine: sign the back of your ticket, verify the draw date, and use the correct retailer process or official claim center instructions for larger prizes.

Also worth noting: some lottery games offer different ways to take bigger prizes, like a cash lump sum versus annuity—Cash 5 style jackpots are often advertised as a straight jackpot amount, but always confirm the official rules for how it’s paid and what thresholds trigger in-person claiming.

Next-step strategy (without the superstition) 🚀

If you’re building a smarter playbook, don’t just chase “hot numbers.” Track what you actually pick and how it compares to the board. Tonight’s compact band (25–38) is a reminder that tight ranges happen—and they wipe out widely spaced “coverage” tickets just as easily.

Analyze your strategy for the next draw with TrendPick AI for these games on NichebrAI, including the dedicated North Carolina Cash 5 hub. If you like cross-game pattern hunting, you can also compare number behavior against other daily-style games (for example, tools like Powerball Pro for jackpot pacing and Mega Millions Pro for volatility tracking).

One last reality check: odds don’t “improve” because the jackpot is bigger. What changes is the potential reward. Play within your budget, keep your ticket safe, and if you win big—head to the claim center with patience and paperwork. 💰