IPFW Mastodons vs Youngstown State Penguins Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: IPFW Mastodons vs Youngstown State Penguins

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: Beeghly Center in Youngstown, OH

TV: ESPN+

The Youngstown State Penguins (8-8) are welcoming the IPFW Mastodons (9-8) at Beeghly Center on Wednesday.

The IPFW Mastodons played Cleveland State and earned the victory with a final of 74-71 in their last game. In relation to fouls, the Mastodons walked away with 14 and Cleveland State racked up 22 fouls. They buried 16 of their 42 attempts from distance. Cleveland State finished the game at 81.8% from the free throw line by making 9 of 11 tries. Additionally, Cleveland State pulled down 31 boards (12 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Cleveland State doled out 16 assists and had 3 steals in this matchup. Regarding defense, IPFW allowed their opponent to shoot 38.3% from the field on 23 of 60 shooting. They also dished out 15 assists in the matchup while forcing 13 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled a total of 24 with 7 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Mastodons knocked down 17 of 21 shots for a percentage of 81.0%. IPFW finished having earned a 39.7% FG percentage (23 out of 58) and buried 11 of their 37 shots from beyond the arc.

Corey Hadnot II is a guy who was a major factor in the matchup. He ended up shooting 46.2% from the field and totaled 6 dimes. He was on the court for 36 mins and pulled down 5 boards. He was able to score 20 points on 6 out of 13 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

IPFW heads into this one with a win-loss mark of 9-8 so far this season. They are losing possession via turnover 10.1 times per contest and as a team they are committing 15.3 personal fouls every game. As a team, IPFW is collecting 30.5 rebounds per game and has tallied 252 dimes this year, which is 60th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Mastodons are hitting 33.6% on three-point attempts (166 of 494) and 71.2% from the free throw line. They currently have an average of 80.6 points per contest (116th in college hoops) on 47.0% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Mastodons have forced 15.2 turnovers every game while drawing 16.3 fouls. They are currently ranked 340th in D-1 in allowing assists to their opponents with 257 relinquished for the campaign. The Mastodons defensively are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 45.6% (466 of 1,023) and they surrender 37.8 boards per game as a unit. They relinquish 35.9% on three-point shots while they are 274th in college in points per game allowed (77.2).

When they last played, the Youngstown State Penguins took a loss by a final score of 94-79 when they played Northern Kentucky. The Penguins were able to snag 18 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive boards totaling 26 in the game. They also turned the ball over 10 times, while getting 7 steals in this contest. Northern Kentucky was called for 19 personal fouls in this matchup which got the Penguins to the charity stripe for a total of 23 shots. They were able to make 13 of them for a percentage of 56.5%. Pertaining to 3-point attempts, Youngstown State buried 10 of their 34 tries (29.4%). At the conclusion of this game, the Penguins finished 28 for 70 from the floor which had them shooting 40.0%. The Penguins allowed Northern Kentucky to convert 30 out of their 58 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 51.7% in the game. They went 45.0% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 9 out of 20 and ended up shooting 25 out of 32 at the free throw line (78.1%). In regard to how they cleaned up the glass, Youngstown State allowed Northern Kentucky to get 37 in total (6 offensive).

Cris Carroll ended up being a factor for the Penguins in the matchup. He totaled 26 points in his 36 minutes of playing time and earned 1 assist in this contest. He made 8 out of 17 for the game for a field goal percentage of 47.1%, and accumulated 5 rebounds.

Youngstown State has a mark of 8-8 for the campaign. The Penguins are responsible for committing 18.7 fouls per game and they go 70.9% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 14.5 times per contest (176th in college) and they turn the ball over 13.3 times per game. Youngstown State has accumulated 1,266 pts on the season (79.1 per game) and they pull in 35.4 rebounds per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Penguins are hitting on 46.1% from the field, which has them ranked 146th in the country.

The Youngstown State defense gives up 31.9% on 3-pointers (88 of 276) and opponents are connecting on 73.3% of their free throw shots. They have relinquished 11.9 dimes and 34.3 boards per contest, which is ranked 71st and 171st in the nation. The Penguins are ranked 143rd in college in PPG given up with 71.8. They have forced 14.1 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 43.9% from the field (210th in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Youngstown State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.