$304,000 on the line in North Carolina Cash 5 — here are Saturday’s winning numbers (Jan. 31, 2026)

• ⚡ North Carolina Lottery Daily Quick Report & Payout Info
• Winning Numbers: North Carolina Cash 5 drew 7-16-22-33-38 (Double Play: 21-22-25-26-40).
• Jackpot Status: The Cash 5 jackpot was listed at $304,000 for this draw—check your ticket and prize tier to confirm whether it was hit or rolled over.
• Drawing Time: Drawings are typically held at 10:59 PM ET (check the NCEL schedule for official day-by-day times).
• Payout Chart: Scroll down to the payout / prize tiers section for how matches translate into winnings.
• TrendPick AI Insight: A balanced sum and a mid-wide spread showed steady coverage without an extreme “all-low” or “all-high” swing.

North Carolina Lottery Daily results for Saturday, January 31, 2026 featured Cash 5 numbers 7-16-22-33-38, with Double Play numbers 21-22-25-26-40. The advertised jackpot for Cash 5 was $304,000; whether it was hit depends on whether a lucky ticket matched all five numbers for the top prize tier.

North Carolina Lottery Daily lottery results – Saturday, January 31, 2026

North Carolina Cash 5 results (with Double Play)

Main draw visual:
716223338

Double Play visual:
2122252640

North Carolina Lottery Daily Deep Dive – Cash 5 patterns for Jan. 31, 2026

Tonight’s Cash 5 draw dangled life-changing money—at least for a game in this tier—with a posted jackpot of $304,000. And the numbers that came out—7, 16, 22, 33, 38—told a story: not a chaotic splash, but a measured spread across the board.

The TrendPick AI Engine detected a “balanced-but-stretched” profile: a middle-of-the-road sum (116) paired with a range of 31, meaning the results reached from a single-digit opener all the way up into the high 30s. That’s the kind of draw that can feel deceptively ordinary—until you realize it can also be brutal for quick-pick crowds that tend to cluster around similar number bands.

Distribution check: low vs. high, and where the draw lived

Let’s break it down like you’d do at the kitchen table with your ticket in hand:

Low numbers (1–19): 7 and 16 showed up early, giving the draw a classic “starter pair.”
Mid numbers (20–29): 22 landed right in the middle—often a popular zone for players who favor birthdays plus a little extra.
High numbers (30+): 33 and 38 finished strong, pushing this result upward and widening the coverage.

No consecutive run appeared in the main draw (no 21-22-23 style stair-step), which matters because consecutive pairs are common in player picks but statistically neither “due” nor “rare” in any meaningful predictive way. Still, when they don’t hit, it can eliminate a lot of the most human-style combinations.

Odd/even mix: the quiet signal most players ignore

The odd/even split came in at 2 odd and 3 even—a standard look that won’t turn heads at a claim center, but it’s exactly the kind of pattern that shows up frequently in fair draws. Players who overload odds or overload evens sometimes do it out of superstition; the math doesn’t reward that approach, but many people still swear by it.

Double Play twist: one repeat that jumps off the screen

Now for Double Play: 21, 22, 25, 26, 40. The big headline inside that set is simple—22 repeated across both the main draw and Double Play. That’s not a “signal” that 22 is hot forever, but it is a notable same-night overlap that will make some folks wish they’d played a consistent number set.

Double Play also delivered a mini-cluster: 25 and 26 landed back-to-back. If your strategy leans toward consecutive numbers (some players love them, some avoid them), Double Play rewarded that style tonight.

North Carolina Lottery Daily payouts, prize tiers, and what to do next (Jan. 31, 2026)

If you matched all five in the main Cash 5 draw, you’re staring at the top prize tier—potentially the full $304,000 jackpot depending on how the game’s jackpot and sharing rules apply. Many winners choose between payment options when available; if a cash lump sum is offered for a jackpot-style prize, it’s typically less than the advertised amount. For lower prize tiers, payouts are usually fixed amounts based on how many numbers you matched.

Two urgent reminders before you celebrate—or toss that ticket:

1) Confirm your exact prize tier. A ticket that misses the jackpot can still be a strong win, especially if you added Double Play.
2) Sign the back of your ticket and verify claim steps. If it’s a larger prize, don’t delay—use the official lottery site or visit a local retailer/claim center process as instructed by the North Carolina Education Lottery.

And yes, the odds are always steep at the top. That’s the deal: long odds, big dreams, and the possibility that one lucky ticket changes everything.

Next-draw strategy: bring in TrendPick AI (North Carolina Cash 5 and more)

Want to tighten up your approach before the next drawing? Analyze your strategy for the next draw with TrendPick AI for these games on NichebrAI—especially if you play Cash 5 often. You can explore number distribution tools and pattern tracking here: https://nichebrai.com/north-carolina-cash-5/.

And if you’re also chasing bigger national games, you can compare approaches (and see how wildly the odds scale) using tools like the Powerball hub: https://nichebrai.com/powerball-pro/.

Bottom line tonight: Cash 5 delivered a balanced, wide-spread draw, and the posted jackpot sat at $304,000. Check every line, check Double Play, and if you’ve got a match—move fast, stay smart, and follow the proper claim instructions.