Cleveland State vs IPFW Prediction 1/4/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Cleveland State Vikings and the Fort Wayne Mastodons meet Sunday in college basketball action from Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Here’s a Cleveland State vs Fort Wayne prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Cleveland State vs Fort Wayne pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Cleveland State Vikings Betting Preview

The Vikings have had a rocky year so far. Cleveland State opened on a rough 4-8 run, taking losses to Loyola Chicago, Northwestern, Kent State (twice), Valparaiso, Missouri, Northern Kentucky and Detroit in that time. After two more losses to UAB and Milwaukee, Cleveland State beat IUPUI to move their record to 5-10 across their first 15 games of the season.
In the IUPUI matchup last Monday, the Vikings went into the second half sporting a 46-38 advantage. Cleveland State hit a 53-48 run the rest of the way and took the win 99-86 in the end. Chevalier Emery put up 29 points with three assists and Dayan Nessah had 23 points with eight boards. Josiah Francis doubled up on 11 points with 10 rebounds in the winning effort as well.

Fort Wayne Mastodons Betting Preview

Over on the Fort Wayne side, they went a rough 4-6 over their first 10 games this year, taking losses to Grand Canyon, Ohio State, Western Michigan, Utah, St. Louis and Oakland. After wins over Northern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Detroit and Notre Dame from there, Fort Wayne took another loss to Milwaukee. Through 15 games that would give the team an 8-7 record overall.

On Thursday versus Green Bay, the Mastodons were down by six at the break. Things didn’t get any better from there on a 42-30 run, giving Fort Wayne a 72-54 loss in the end. Corey Hadnot was the team’s leading scorer in the defeat with 21 points, three assists and two rebounds. Maximus Nelson added 12 points with three boards as the only other team player to reach double-digits.

Cleveland State Vikings @ Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Betting Trends: January 4, 2026

Why the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons will win

• Cleveland State has lost each of its last eight road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Purdue Fort Wayne has won seven of its last eight home games.
• The home team has won the first half in each of Cleveland State’s last four games.

Why the Cleveland State Vikings will win

• Cleveland State has won 10 of its last 11 games against Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Purdue Fort Wayne has lost six of its last eight games against the Horizon League.
• Cleveland State has won the first half in four of its last five road day games against the Horizon League.

Cleveland State vs Fort Wayne Prediction

I’ll stick with Fort Wayne but I’m probably staying away. The Mastodons had all sorts of trouble in a home loss to a middling Green Bay squad on Thursday, shooting just 37 percent from the field with a 32-17 rebounding deficit and just 3-of-8 (37.5 percent) from the line. That gives Fort Wayne a combined 109 points over the last two games, and they’ve given up 149 on the other side.

As for Cleveland State, they did well against a struggling IUPUI team in their last outing, shooting 54.4 percent from the field with 30-of-35 (85.7 percent) from the line and 35 rebounds. The Vikings have been giving up a lot of points lately, though: 81 or more in three straight, resulting in a 1-2 stretch. Fort Wayne should have plenty of scoring opportunities in this one.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Fort Wayne Mastodons -8.5