WABC reports:

Mega Millions mania is close to reaching a new high.

Strong weekend ticket sales easily could push Tuesday’s jackpot above last year’s record $656 million prize.

The jackpot climbed to $550 million Saturday, making it the fourth largest in U.S. history.

No ticket matched the six number needed to win Friday’s $425 million prize.

Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and Mega Millions’ lead director, told the Associated Press that sales were up by as much as 20 percent in states that reported their weekend numbers. Sales were expected to spike on Tuesday, the day of the drawing.

“I think we’ll be very close to the record, and maybe even surpass it,” Otto said. “The challenging part in predicting is that so many of the sales happening on the day of the drawing.”

As of Friday, players had bought enough tickets to cover roughly half of the 259 million possible number combinations, Otto said.

If no one wins, officials say the next jackpot could top $1 billion.

(Source: WABC)