Covariance is a measure of the relationship between two random variables, indicating whether they tend to move together or in opposite directions. The covariance formula calculates the average of the products of the deviations from the mean for each variable. A simple linear regression model describes the linear relationship between a dependent variable and a single independent variable, estimating coefficients to find the best fitting straight line through the data points. Linear regression analysis uses observed data to relate a dependent variable to one or more independent variables and build a predictive equation.