Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Celtics at Spurs and college basketball Championship Week

Tonight's matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics could be — wait for it — a preview of the NBA Finals.

Yes, that may be a bit premature given that the reigning NBA champion Thunder (51-15) have the best record in the league and the Pistons, Knicks and Cavaliers are major contenders in the Eastern Conference. But the Spurs are the hottest team in the league, and the Celtics have recently added Jayson Tatum to an already championship-level team. If that's premature, then guilty as charged.

On Tuesday, the two title contenders collide at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.

The Spurs are 15-1 over their last 16 games. They are riding high after a dominant, 25-point victory over the rival Rockets.

Meanwhile, the Celtics are 14-3 over their last 17 games and 2-0 since the return of Tatum from an Achilles injury. They are coming off a 109-98 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.

San Antonio is a 3.5-point favorite over Boston.

While Spurs-Celtics is the marquee attraction on Tuesday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes 10 other NBA games and a full college basketball conference tournament slate. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on Tuesday, March 10. All times Eastern.

NBA best bets, where to watch

Celtics at Spurs

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: San Antonio | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Celtics +123

As good as San Antonio has been since the start of February, Boston has been almost as good. The Celtics have led the league in rebounding, grabbing 55.8% of misses, since Feb. 1. That will be key for Boston on Tuesday if it hopes to dictate the tempo. The Celtics play at the slowest pace in the league (93.00), while the Spurs play at the sixth-fastest (102.41). The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, gives Boston a 57.0% chance to win and assigns a strong A grade to the Celtics money line (+123).

Timberwolves at Lakers

Time: 11 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Timberwolves -145

The battle for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference is a five-team rodeo, with just three games separating the Timberwolves, Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets and Suns. On Tuesday two of those teams square off when Minnesota and Los Angeles meet at Crypto.com Arena. The Timberwolves are one of just six teams to rank in the top 10 in the league in both offensive (116.1 points per 100 possessions) and defensive (112.2) rating. The Lakers, meanwhile, still are in the bottom half of the NBA on defense (115.8, 20th). The SportsLine Projection Model says Minnesota has a 67.0% chance to win and gives a strong A grade to the Timberwolves money line (-145).

College basketball best bets, where to watch

Detroit Mercy vs. Wright State

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Indianapolis | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Wright State -4.5

A berth in the NCAA Tournament will be on the line when the Wright State Raiders and Detroit Mercy Titans face off in the championship game of the Horizon League tournament. The tournament No. 1 seed and regular season champions, the Raiders (22-11) are coming off a 103-90 win over Northern Kentucky. The 103 points are a season-high for Wright State. Meanwhile, the third-seeded Titans (17-14) enter the title game after a 70-64 victory over Robert Morris. The Raiders have dominated the series against Detroit Mercy over the last 11 years, winning seven of the last eight meetings and 12 of the previous 14. The SportsLine Projection Model says Wright State has a 64.0% chance to cover and assigns a B grade to Raiders -4.5.

Monmouth vs. Hofstra

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Washington D.C. | TV: CBSSN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Hofstra -4.5

The Hofstra Pride can earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a quarter-century when they take on the Monmouth Hawks at CareFirst Arena in the championship game of the Coastal Athletic Association tournament. The Pride have played in the NCAA Tournament four times, most recently in 2001. Hofstra (23-10) enters the championship game having won six in a row and 10 of its last 11 games. The Pride also have won nine of the last 12 meetings against the Hawks (19-14), including both matchups this season. The SportsLine Projection Model says Hofstra has a 67.0% chance to cover and gives a B grade to Pride -4.5.

No. 12 Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara

Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Las Vegas | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 157.5 | Expert: Santa Clara Over 75.5 Total Pts -125 (Thomas Casale)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will try to win one last West Coast Conference tournament title when they take on the Santa Clara Broncos in the championship game at Orleans Arena. The Bulldogs (29-3) will be playing their final game in the WCC before leaving for the revamped Pac-12 next season. They have won a conference-record 22 tournament titles. Casale notes that Santa Clara (26-7) has gone Over this total six straight times against Gonzaga with the games averaging 174 total points. "The other thing I like here is Santa Clara shoots 78 percent from the foul line, so we should be in good shape if the game is competitive late," he says. The SportsLine Projection Model also sees a high-scoring game. The model says the teams have a 52.5% chance to combine for 158 points or more and assigns a C grade to Over 157.5. 

Siena at Merrimack

Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Atlantic City, N.J. | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 125.5

Two years after making the move to Division I, the Merrimack Warriors can earn their first trip to the NCAA Tournament with a win over the Siena Saints in the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Warriors (23-10) were the class of the MAAC the entire season, winning the regular season title by three games. They are 10-1 in their last 11 outings. That stretch includes a 79-72 victory over the Saints (22-11) on Feb. 20, which easily cleared the total for Tuesday's game. The SportsLine Projection Model says there's an 81.6% chance the teams combine for 126 points or more and gives a B grade to Over 125.5.