IPFW vs Notre Dame Prediction 12/21/2025 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Fort Wayne Mastodons and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet Sunday in college basketball action from Purcell Pavilion. Here’s a Fort Wayne vs Notre Dame prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Fort Wayne vs Notre Dame 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.

Fort Wayne Mastodons Betting Preview

The Mastodons kicked off the season on a pretty rough 2-5 overall run. The wins were over only Dominican IL and Boyce; otherwise it was losses to Grand Canyon, Ohio State, Western Michigan, Utah and Saint Louis. Since then it’s been a 5-1 stretch however, with wins over Chicago State, Holy Cross College IN, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and Detroit. That gives Fort Wayne a 7-6 record through 13 games so far.

In the Detroit matchup last weekend, the Mastodons posted a 40-33 edge by the break. Fort Wayne was outscored 44-41 the rest of the way but held on for the win 81-77 in the end. Tops in scoring was Mikale Stevenson with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. DeAndre Craig had 16 points with six rebounds and three assists while Corey Hadnot had 15 points with eight rebounds in the win.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview

Over on the Notre Dame side, they managed a 5-3 start over their first eight outings this year. The Irish lost to Ohio State, Kansas and Houston in that time but otherwise beat Long Island U, Detroit, Eastern Illinois, Bellarmine and Rutgers. Since then it’s been four straight wins over Missouri, TCU, Idaho and Evansville for the Fighting Irish, giving the team a 9-3 overall record in their first dozen outings.

In the Evansville game, the Irish jumped out to a 41-29 halftime edge. Notre Dame replicated that score again in the second half, rolling to an 82-58 win in the end. Leading the team in the victory effort was Braeden Shrewsberry with 26 points, and Sir Mohammed chipped in 21 points in 22 minutes of work on the floor. Jalen Haralson also reached double-figures with 10 points and three assists for the Irish.

Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Trends: December 21, 2025

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win

• Notre Dame has won each of its last 10 games at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
• Purdue Fort Wayne has lost each of its last 10 road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Purdue Fort Wayne has lost the first half in five of its last six road games against non-Conference opponents.

Why the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons will win

• Purdue Fort Wayne has won each of its last five day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Fort Wayne vs Notre Dame Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Irish I suppose. Notre Dame dispatched Evansville without too much issue in their last outing, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 14-of-25 (56 percent) from 3-point range. The Irish added 37 rebounds but only had nine team assists and no blocks alongside 12 turnovers. Still, Notre Dame is looking good over this current four-game win streak. They’ve scored 76 or more points in each of those outings and 80 or more in each of the last three.

As for Fort Wayne, they shot a nice 48.3 percent from the field and had just two turnovers in their win over Duquesne. The Mastodons got out-rebounded 44-30 however, and went just 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) from the line. Fort Wayne is scoring great lately as well, with 79 or more points in six straight games—a 5-1 run. I could see the Mastodons covering here if all goes well.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish TBA