In any given calendar year, one FF5 number (sometimes two numbers) will have more hits than all of the others. It's also true that one number will have the least hits of all 36 FF5 numbers. That has happened every year since 2002. (The first full year of FF5)
We're getting close to June 30th which means that in a little more than one weeks time we'll know which FF5 number is the hottest number of this year, and will very likely end 2021 with the most hits. The significance of June 30th is that's the date when FF5 players can very easily tell what number has been the strongest and is sitting in a position where it cant be overtaken by the other slightly less hotter numbers of the year.
Number 28 has been in first place since the end of March. As of last night, it' sitting at 35 hits. (Although it's had only one hit in June) It's was sitting in second place at the end of February with 14 hits, when it was one hit behind #35. It's the leading number in the last 365 drawings with 61 hits. #28 will very likely finish 2021 with the most hits with a total of about 65 hits. The second place number is #20 with 33 hits this year. It's been very strong recently. It's definitely in striking distance of #28, but as crazy as this will sound, it probably wont catch and pass #28. The reason why it wont catch/pass #28 is simply because there aren't enough drawings left in 2021 for it to do it. (We'll see about that. I've been wrong about these kind of things in the past.)
It looks to me that #28 is taking a break in June. It was on such a wicked pace during the first half of the year that if it remained on that torrid pace through the whole year, it would finish the year with 70+ hits. That's an incredibly high number of hits for any number to have in one year's time. All of the FF5 hit leaders since 2002 have averaged 65 hits, so as you can see #28 needs to slow down a bit. I think it's doing just that right now. In past years most hit leaders have at least one month of the year where they have one or two hits, but they come roaring back in the following months. That's a behavior characteristic of leading numbers that I've observed not only in FF5, but in other states pick 5 games as well. Why would Florida be any different?
As for the FF5 number not to play in 2021, it's #32 with just 14 hits this year. The coldest FF5 number of any given year typically has 40 hits. Looks to me like #32 has some work to do..... G5