Yeah, that's a useful clue. Towards the end of the month (like now) there are a lot of draws that might repeat, so many that it would cost more than the potential boxed winnings to play them 50/50. A $40 50/50 boxed win wouldn't cover the cost of playing every number that already fell this calendar month. That would have (today) cost $56. That's why there's no sense in following that strategy after the 20th of the month. If you're really going to follow that strategy after the 20th, you need to drop the 50/50 part and just play the fifty cent straight part to have any chance to recoup your losses.
The only time I ever look for repeats is when I'm chasing a historic repeat like 688. 688 has a long history of straight repeats.
01/27/24,188,688 | 10/18/10,794,688 | 04/12/07,688,588 | 07/12/15,302,688 | 07/10/96,293,688 | 04/06/95,688,589 | 02/08/94,XXX,688
01/28/24,142,267 | 10/19/10,706,789 | 04/13/07,259,584 | 07/13/15,629,928 | 07/11/96,078,106 | 04/07/95,925,516 | 02/09/94,XXX,688
01/29/24,130,??? | 10/20/10,331,044 | 04/14/07,240,326 | 07/14/15,772,811 | 07/12/96,358,771 | 04/08/95,817,818
01/30/24,???,??? | 10/21/10,079,520 | 04/15/07,214,426 | 07/15/15,583,425 | 07/13/96,213,994 | 04/10/95,079,688
01/31/24,???,??? | 10/22/10,829,959 | 04/16/07,261,786 | 07/16/15,372,492 | 07/15/96,376,943
02/01/24,???,??? | 10/23/10,329,754 | 04/17/07,826,102 | 07/17/15,288,051 | 07/16/96,981,999
02/02/24,???,??? | 10/24/10,349,757 | 04/18/07,549,684 | 07/18/15,487,147 | 07/17/96,688,962
02/03/24,???,??? | 10/25/10,252,184 | 04/19/07,863,591 | 07/19/15,397,712
02/04/24,???,??? | 10/26/10,691,197 | 04/20/07,664,589 | 07/20/15,289,233
02/05/24,???,??? | 10/27/10,491,664 | 04/21/07,602,232 | 07/21/15,363,253
02/06/24,???,??? | 10/28/10,083,721 | 04/22/07,542,610 | 07/22/15,071,655
02/07/24,???,??? | 10/29/10,790,851 | 04/23/07,964,795 | 07/23/15,688,515 *Would be a Date workup hit from 02/07/23,990,688 (last year)
02/08/24,???,??? | 10/30/10,207,262 | 04/24/07,688,055 *Would be a Date workup hit from 02/08/94,XXX,688
02/09/24,???,??? | 10/31/10,843,074 *Would be a Date workup hit from 02/09/94,XXX,688
02/10/24,???,??? | 11/01/10,098,792
02/11/24,???,??? | 11/02/10,804,997
02/12/24,???,??? | 11/03/10,585,550
02/13/24,???,??? | 11/04/10,539,207
02/14/24,???,??? | 11/05/10,061,205
02/15/24,???,??? | 11/06/10,196,707
02/16/24,???,??? | 11/07/10,838,069
02/17/24,???,??? | 11/08/10,780,821
02/18/24,???,??? | 11/09/10,397,756
02/19/24,???,??? | 11/10/10,688,647