If starting off the weekend as a brand new millionaire would make a good finish to your workweek even better, then you might want to buy a Mega Millions ticket some time before the draw entry closes at 10:45 p.m. EDT.

That's 15 minutes before the lottery's magic numbers will be determined at the studios of WSB-TV, Atlanta's ABC affiliate.

The jackpot for the Oct. 9 drawing comes in at an impressive $65 million, though the winner will "only" take home about $40 million if he or she opts for an immediate lump-sum payout. Otherwise, the total prize is handed over in annual installments during a 29-year period.

Most winners end up going for the lump sum, but before you agonize over the decision, you might want to remind yourself that your chances of winning the jackpot in the first place are about 1 in 259 million. Hitting the main prize is a true feat, but the odds of winning a lesser amount are much better at about 1 in 15.

Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday, and tickets to the game are sold in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- a total of 45 jurisdictions.

The lottery's winning numbers from the last drawing on Oct. 6 were 17, 58, 63, 64 and 66; the Mega Ball number was 13; and the "Megaplier" was 3, according to the game's official website. The estimated jackpot had been $55 million, but no one matched the winning Mega Millions numbers on that day, the multistate lottery detailed.

In fact, Tuesday's produced no new millionaires at all: No player was able to match five numbers - with out without the Megaplier -- a feat that would have yielded between $1 and $3 million, according to the multistate lottery.

If you want to find out how close you are to hitting the Mega Millions jackpot, check here to find out how to watch the Mega Millions drawings at 11 p.m. EDT.