Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Spurs at 76ers, college basketball and more

The race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference is on.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who looked uncatchable for the best record in the NBA after starting the season 24-1, sit atop the standings in the West, at 47-15. They are just three games ahead of the surging San Antonio Spurs (43-17), who are 11-1 in their last 12 games.

And even though DraftKings has Oklahoma City as the clear favorite to finish with the most regular-season wins, there is a case to be made for San Antonio to catch the reigning NBA champs. The Spurs' remaining strength of schedule is easier than the Thunder's. San Antonio's remaining opponents have a winning percentage of .503, which is much lower than Oklahoma City's remaining opponents' (.535).

In addition, the Spurs play one fewer back-to-back than the Thunder. San Antonio also has more home games than road contests (13 versus nine), while Oklahoma City has the same number of road games as home contests.

On Tuesday, the Spurs pick up their chase for the top spot in the West when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

San Antonio is a 7.5-point favorite over Philadelphia.

While Spurs-76ers is the marquee attraction on Tuesday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes nine other NBA games and a full college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on Tuesday, March 3. All times Eastern.

NBA best bets, where to watch

Spurs at 76ers

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

SportsLine picks -- Model: Under 234.5

Led by runaway Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have been elite defensively all season. They're allowing 110.5 points per 100 possessions, which ranks third in the NBA. Over their last 12 games, they've been even more stingy on that end, giving up just 106.9 points per 100. On Tuesday, San Antonio will face a 76ers team that will once again be without Joel Embiid (strained right oblique). Without Embiid on Sunday, Philadelphia scored just 98 points in a 16-point defeat to the Celtics. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says there's a 57.3% chance the teams combine for 234 points or fewer and assigns a B grade to Under 234.5.

Suns at Kings

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

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 223.5

The Phoenix Suns were one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises early in the season, but injuries have caught up with the team, which is 4-7 in its last 11 games. Defense has taken a hit over that time. During that stretch, the Suns have given up 116.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 21st in the league. That's significantly up from their season-long average of 112.7. The good news for Phoenix: Devin Booker, who hasn't played since Feb. 19, is not on the team's injury report for Tuesday, which could mean that he's available for the game against the Sacramento Kings. The SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 63.0% chance the teams combine for 224 points or more and gives a strong A grade to Over 223.5.

College basketball best bets, where to watch

No. 16 Alabama at Georgia

Time: 6:30 p.m. | Location: Athens, Ga. | TV: ESPNEWS | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Georgia +1.5 | Expert: Alabama +2.5 (Jeff Hochman)

The Tide are rolling. Alabama has won a season-best eight in a row and is coming off a gut-check, comeback win over Tennessee in which the Tide's first lead came with 22.8 seconds remaining. Alabama has the highest-scoring offense in the country, averaging 92.1 points per game. Hochman notes that the Tide shoot 76.6% from the free throw line and 36.1% from behind the 3-point arc. That could be problematic for a Bulldogs team that ranks in the bottom half of the SEC in 3-point percentage allowed. "Georgia, on the other hand, struggles to shoot from deep (ranked 215th) and rarely cleans up the boards (347th)," he says. The SportsLine Projection Model disagrees. It says the Bulldogs have a 68.0% chance to cover and assigns a B grade to Georgia +1.5.

TCU at No. 10 Texas Tech

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Lubbock, Texas | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Texas Tech -8.5 | Expert: TCU +10.5 (Thomas Casale and Chip Patterson)

The TCU Horned Frogs can significantly strengthen their NCAA Tournament résumé when they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. The Horned Frogs (19-10, 9-7 in Big 12) enter Tuesday squarely on the tournament bubble and are among the Last Four In in CBS Sports' Bracketology. They could greatly enhance their chances of getting into the tournament with a victory over the Red Raiders (22-7, 12-4), who are coming off an 82-73 upset at Iowa State despite playing without their best player, JT Toppin, who is out for the season. Casale believes Tech could be prime for a letdown after the "emotional" victory over the Cyclones. "I think this is a tough spot for Texas Tech to be laying double-digits," he says. The SportsLine Projection Model disagrees. It says the Red Raiders have a 67.0% chance to cover and gives a C grade to Texas Tech -8.5.

Clemson at No. 17 North Carolina

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 141.5

A double-bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament will be on the line when the North Carolina Tar Heels and Clemson Tigers square off at the Smith Center. Both the Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 in ACC) and Tigers (21-8, 11-5) are tied for fourth in the conference. The top four teams after the regular season will receive a double-bye. The winner of Tuesday's showdown will earn a top-four spot regardless of what happens later in the week. The Over hit in both teams' most recent game, and the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 69.9% chance the teams combine for 142 points or more and assigns a B grade to Over 141.5.

No. 9 Nebraska at UCLA

Time: 11 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Nebraska +100 | Expert: Nebraska +1.5 (Micah Roberts)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers can match the program record for wins in a season when they square off against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. With a win over UCLA, the Cornhuskers (25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten) would tie the 1990-91 Nebraska team that went 26-8. The Cornhuskers are famously the only power conference team never to have won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who are projected to be a No. 10 seed in the tournament according to CBS Sports' Bracketology, have lost three of their last five games. "Nebraska should probably be a 4-point favorite here," Roberts says. The SportsLine Projection Model agrees. It says the Cornhuskers have a 53.0% chance to win and gives a B grade to the Nebraska money line.