Everybody knows the 17 is the most drawn number in 2014. (Not to mention it was the third hottest number in both 2012 and 2013)
It's got 57 hits year to date. The 8 is sitting in second place with 53 hits. So can/will the 8 catch and pass the 17 next month? My guess is that it wont. Two things would need to happen for the 8 to take over the number one spot. For instance, the 17 would need zero hits in December, and the 8 would need to hit just five times.
There are other combo's where the 8 could take the lead, and they all involve the 17 hitting fewer times than the 8. I don't see that happening. I'm more inclined to believe they'll hit about the same number of times in December, which would keep the 17 in the lead.
The 17 didn't start 2014 with the lead and keep it. It didn't get to the number one spot until September when it hit eleven times. (Actually it got to number one in August, but it was tied for the lead that month with one other number.) In September it went ballistic and has been the undisputed leader ever since then.
Because of it's past history in 2012 and 2013, I started keeping a "rolling 365 day" spreadsheet. The 17 has been at the top of the heap for a long time on that chart.
So the real question isn't 'will the 17 be the most drawn number in 2014?' but rather 'how many times will it hit this year?' My guess is 61. Maybe 62. G5