Syracuse (4-0) has used its defense to squash its opponents so far this season, and it will need to clamp down again on Wednesday in the Carrier Dome against Toledo (3-0) to keep the winning streak alive. The Rockets have not scored fewer than 72 points yet this season, granted those totals have come against teams graded 167th in Kenpom.com rankings or lower. Toledo doesn’t really shoot the 3-pointer (29.2 percent of its points have come from there this season, 204th in the nation) so it will take a gargantuan effort for the Rockets to fell the Orange.

Here are our three beat writers’ thoughts on the game.

Matthew Gutierrez (4-0)
It ain’t rocket science
Syracuse 67, Toledo 57

It ain’t rocket science: Syracuse is the better team here. Kenpom.com gives the Orange an 85 percent chance to win Wednesday night. The Orange will pick up its fifth straight victory to start the season before the first true close game comes next week in Maryland. Wednesday, Orange fans shall enjoy an SU win on Thanksgiving Eve.

Tomer Langer (4-0)
Final tune-up
Syracuse 74, Toledo 54

The Orange has faced fairly low-level opponents so far to start its season, something that’s not really uncommon. But, this Toledo matchup will be the last one for awhile in which Syracuse should be heavily favored. The next three games after this are home against Maryland, and two neutral-site games against Connecticut and Kansas. All three of those games will be solid barometers for where this SU team is at. The Toledo game shouldn’t be. The Orange cruises to its fifth straight victory in the Dome.

Sam Fortier (4-0)
Gobble gobble
Syracuse 70, Toledo 51
In a Thanksgiving prelude, Syracuse will mash Toledo by feasting on its defense that ranks among the worst in the nation and stuffing its offense, as Syracuse has the highest block rate in the nation. There are no good puns about dinner rolls and cranberry sauce, and the game’s result is not in doubt, so let’s move on. Everyone (including Tomer and Guti) is looking ahead to the Orange’s juicy slate and those will all be real tests that should tell us a lot about this team.